Search - In the Mix on DVD

Usher is a bright presence on the screen

Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 05/05/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"IN THE MIX is a fairly routine Hollywood gig on mixing spinning with mob crime sidebars and interracial relationships. It isn't a great movie but it does give Usher a chance to strut his stuff in a remarkably subdued and charismatic fashion.



Darrell (Usher) is a spinner in a club, a start at a dream of owning his own recording industry. He is asked to spin discs for the surprise birthday party of law student Dolly (Emmanuelle Chriqui), the wealthy daughter of crime boss Frank (Chazz Palminteri). Darrell and Frank have been friends a long time having shared parental tragedies: there is also a chemistry in the making between the time reunited Darrell and 'engaged' Dolly. An attempt is made on Frank's life and Darrell bravely takes the bullet. Frank assigns Darrell as Dolly's bodyguard and through a series of assassination attempts and crime busts Darrell and Dolly are drawn closer. How Frank deals with this new 'development' as well as coping with the opposing mobsters plays out the fairly obvious story.



Usher has presence and despite the fact that he is not given screen time for his dancing, he is given ample time as eye candy and as an actor who deals well with both comedy and action. His interaction with Chriqui is palpably on target. The remainder of the cast do what they can with a weak script, but director Ron Underwood keeps the action and reaction going at an entertaining pace. This is not a great movie, but it is entertaining and introduces Usher to the screen in a well-prepared debut. Grady Harp, May 06"

Up Until the Action Scene

Shamontiel L. Vaughn | Chicago | 08/24/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I have heard people dog this movie as bad as they dog all of Nick Cannon's movies (minus "Drumline") but I'm hardheaded and open-minded, so I gave it a chance. Before I get into my review, let me clarify a few things.

#1 Someone did have sex in this movie, but the camera just didn't show it.

#2 As much as kids curse these days, I do not see the big deal with him saying the f-word.

#3 I can watch MTV for two minutes and see a butt--big deal if it was in this movie.

#4 Whoever said the white guy trying to be hip was the worst was dead-on; that had to be the most annoying thing about this movie...and unnecessary. Nothing about his character made him need to act that way. I guess the writers thought it'd be funny, but it would've been much more realistic if the brother was believeable and just odd against the family, than corny and odd to EVERYBODY.



Now my own response to the movie--Cons: If I took a disposable camera and took photos of a fight, it would've been more exciting than these action scenes. As soon as they started with the guns, that brought so little blood, I shook my head. The white brother who wanted to be from the hood annoyed me to no end. Even the purpose he served towards the end of the movie could've easily been done by another character. The characters CONTINUOUSLY brought up race. "Italian people put red sauce on their macaroni." "Why do I only get shot by white people?" "Giving Benjamins is an Italian tradition." "I heard black men can dance." I mean seriously, the only people who talk like this are people who have not been around other cultures for extended periods of time. The daughter and Usher's character supposedly grew up together, but they're talking to each other like they just met in a club a couple weeks ago. The killer was EXTREMELY predictable--and so were all the set-ups. Why is the only black woman in this movie a golddigger, a ho, and dense? Who in the world jumps into the pool with their jeans on, when they have on boxers underneath, and jumps out the pool all light and fluffy, like those jeans don't weigh a ton? What unarmed men do you know that walk right up on somebody with a gun and snatch it?



Pros: Usher's acting has improved dramatically since the movie he did where he got locked in a school. He's not too over the top in the comedic scenes, not overly Don Juan for the romantic scenes, and I believed in his character. The beginning to middle part of the movie was pretty good, but once the story started to "unfold," it got REAL amateurish. The comedian from "Soul Plane" was goofy as usual, and I like that dude.



Other than those few pros, overall, I'd say this movie needed to erase ALL of the scenes after Usher went on the double date, and try again."

Last night a DJ killed me with a bad movie

Nuisance | Miami | 05/15/2008

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Entertainers are always trying to succeed in other fields(like established actors that want to be singers or established singers that want to be actors) but very few of them actually succeed in other endeavors other than the one they are well known for. Usher Raymond is another statistic in this sad but true fact. In The Mix is 95 minutes of pure torture and I dont reccomend it to anyone.



Premise: Daryl(Usher), a local DJ is asked to take care of Dolly(Emanuelle Chriqui), a daughter of a well known mob boss(Chazz Palminteri). After taking a bullet for her, Daryl later falls for Dolly and of course the father isnt happy about it. Trouble brews as one of the mob boss's henchmen plans to betray his own boss to run the establishment himself.



Opinion: This movie is visual Nyquil. Usher cant act and Emanuelle Chriqui is so wooden all she's missing is the woodpecker. Plus what would this movie be without stereotypes? There's the Italian father who doesnt want his daughter to date the black man. There's the wegro who is so annoying that he makes Jamie Kennedy's character "Malibu" look like James Bond. There's the black men brandishing pistols in a card game and there is the step-n-fetchit character played by Kevin Hart. Chazz Palminteri is usually good in movies but here he is as bland as paper machier. The love scenes are boring also because there is no chemistry between Usher and Emanuelle. They're just going through the motions. The script is terrible and the action scenes are about as exciting as a presidential address given by Sling Blade. Nothing about this movie is redeemable. Usher is a great singer but as an actor he makes Method Man look like Marlon Brando. Unless you like being put to sleep by a movie you would do well to skip this one. If In The Mix was a record, it would clear every dancefloor coast to coast."

MY EYES! THEY BURN!!!

Grady Harp | 04/23/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"in the mix, were do I begin. this movie is a load of [...]! in the begining of the move, usher says "I don't know about ya'll, but I know about us, and uh? it's the only way we know how to rock." how corney is that? copying things from your own songs. the movie was Basically about: some black guy Trying to Protect some "WHITE GIRL"! it's a movie with a bunch of Sexual remarks.(Well...no one was Actually having sex.)and let us not forget the language! Towards the end of the movie, SOME ONE SAID THE "F" word! (me: DUN DUN DUUUUUN!!!) I didn't know you could say the "F" word in a PG-13 movie.

and there is Nudity at the begining.(no, really! you see some girl's rump at the begining.

but on the on the plus side, usher's a good actor.

BUT PLEASE DO NOT BUY THIS MOVIE!

"