Biker Boyz
Rated PG-13 for violence, sexual content and language.
reviewed by Christopher Lyon
At first glance, “Biker Boyz” seems to be trying to build on the success of last year’s “The Fast and The Furious,” except that it focuses on a mostly black community of high-speed motorcycle riders. In the end, though, “Boyz” lacks the racing intensity of “Furious,” and piles on way more drama.
The Story
“ Biker Boyz” is set in a world in which clubs of motorcycle riders get together on “the set” to hang out and illegally race each other for cash and honor. We’re talking about high-performance street bikes, not dirt bikes. These are big and powerful motorcycles, some equipped with nitrous oxide.
Smoke (“The Matrix’s” Lawrence Fishburne) is the leader of the highly-organized Black Knights. Smoke may be the oldest rider on the set, but he’s never been beaten. Many riders are hoping to get good enough to beat Smoke and take his helmet to show they should be the new “king of Cali.” In the organization of the Black Knights, Soul Train (Orlando Jones) is Smoke’s right-hand man and Slick Will (ER’s Eriq La Salle) is his mechanic.
Kid (“Antwone Fisher’s” Derek Luke) has grown up on the set. After his well-respected father is killed one night in a freak racing accident, Kid stays away for six months. When he returns, he decided to come after Smoke’s crown. Smoke won’t race Kid until he gets into a club. So Kid joins forces with two other young riders, Stuntman and Primo, to start his own club. Together, they begin to grow the “Biker Boyz” into a respectable club.
To get to Smoke, Kid will eventually have to race Dogg (Kid Rock), the leader of the Strays. He’ll also have to learn to control his temper, work out his relationship with tattoo artist Tina (Meagan Good), and get around his mom, who doesn’t want to see her son end up like her husband.
The Verdict
When it comes to plot, “Biker Boyz” has more in common with those 60s-era Asian martial arts movies than it does with “The Fast and The Furious.” They were all about different houses of fighters taking each other on for honor and glory. They often featured the old master and the young student who wants to challenge him. And, as with “Boyz,” they also included tense relationships between fathers and sons.
While I’d admire the attempt to reference those stories, the writing and acting keep you from connecting very deeply with the characters in “Boyz.” Without that, the drama gets way too long and too sappy. I just wasn’t feeling it, yo? (Sorry. It’s hard to walk out of “Boyz” without wanting to use a little of the lingo.)
Lawrence Fishburne as Smoke seems out of place and a little lost in his role. (At one point, I expected him to offer Kid the red pill or the blue one.) Derek Luke can definitely be intense, but he delivered a much better performance in “Antwone Fisher.” Orland Jones continues to build the most varied resume of film roles in Hollywood. (Not to be confused with Orlando Bloom, though that would have been interesting.)
“Biker Boyz” would have been a better movie if it was 20-30 minutes shorter and spent more time on the motorcycles. These bikes are cool, and some of the stunt riding is fun. We just don’t get enough of it. The photography and special effects during the races are mixed. Some shots are awesome. Others just feel like the director was trying too hard to be cool.
Also, the world of “Biker Boyz” feels like it’s supposed to be a lot grittier than it looks on screen. Are these people criminals living on the shady side of the law or are they mostly rich guys who just want to race their expensive bikes? I was never quite sure. But they were all very clean.
“Boyz” might not feel very gritty, but it earns all of its PG-13 rating with bad language, some violence, lots of alcohol use, and plenty of skin. As in “Furious,” the women who hang around this world dress in very tight and/or revealing clothing and seem willing to sleep with a lot of guys. Kid’s girlfriend, Tina, wears especially low cut/tight outfits. The two have a couple of implied sex scenes.
Worldview
“ Boyz” spends a lot of time dealing with issues of fathers and sons. What does it mean to be a father? What do sons learn from their dads?
In the real world, it’s clear that fathers have the greatest ability to impact our lives. Even by being absent or neglectful, our dads have a lot to do with the people we become. It’s hard to be a good dad.
God expects a lot from dads: “Fathers, do not exasperate [or provoke to anger] your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4)
Whether our dads have done a good job of that or not, we (Christians) have some choices to make. First, if he is around and we’re living at home, God tells us to obey and honor our dads. (Ephesians 6:1-3) That’s our job before God.
Second, we have to learn to be honest about our fathers’ strengths and weaknesses. Why? Because the odds are that those things will also become our strengths and weaknesses. Thank God for your dad’s positive qualities, and ask Him to help you imitate them. Then ask Him to help you recognize and avoid your dad’s failures.
Finally, realize that when you became a Christian, God became your heavenly Father. And He’s the perfect dad. Thank Him that He’s always there for you, and ask Him to help you to grow to be more and more like Him every day.
Discussion Questions
• Have you ever ridden a motorcycle? If so, would you rather ride a dirt bike or one of these souped-up street bikes?
• Would you rather race motorcycles or cars? Why?
• What did you think of Kid Rock’s acting? Do you think he can really ride like that?
• What would you say are your dad’s strengths and weaknesses? Have you seen any of those same things in your life?
• If you’re a guy, what kind of a dad do you think you’ll be. Why?
• What qualities in your dad are you most thankful for?
Let us know what you thought of this review!