refinedsugar I remember when I first saw the poster for "Never Die Alone". I thought they were cashing in on DMX's turn in Exit Wounds and now he was getting his own action flick. The trailer just cemented this idea. Now having finally seen it, do I realize how wrong I was. Yeah, there's gangstas, there's killings, there's dope, there's even a DMX track or two within, but this ain't no action movie. I've seen a lot of dark movies featuring dark people, but this nearly tops them. The sad and depressing antics feel too real. Forget that this is based on a novel. The situation, the main character, you know they exist in real life. This guy, King David, as he's called, is one piece of work. I know very little about DMX, his life, his career, but I couldn't help but wonder where the character began and he ended. That there is the most positive aspect of "Never Die Alone". DMX can be commended in all the right-is-wrong ways, but the movie on a fundamental level is flawed.The story, the cast of characters, ride the line between adequate and embarrassing. David Arquette's role as the writer, basically the bridge of the tale, is hackneyed and Arquette is no thespian actor. Michael Ealy's character and his connection to both King David and his drug boss employer is mix of lame poorly executed ideas and unsatisfying conclusions and the whole theme of the movie is obvious from frame one. Intended to be a dark drama, "Never Die Alone" ultimately ends up being a pretentious glance at the surface of a drug pusher and the people caught in his blast radius.

vchimpanzee The movie starts with King David in a casket.Then he starts telling us about his life. He came to Los Angeles to start his life over. Two days earlier, Moon needed Mike and Blue to collect some money from him.Something goes terribly wrong, and David is left lying in the street. Paul, a white writer with a black girlfriend (Nancy), couldn't just let him die. On the way to the hospital, David pleads with Paul to tell his son his story. Interestingly, Paul was living the life of a black man, while Nancy seemed to have rejected her culture (I'm basing this on one scene, but we never got to know her) and disapproved of his living in that world, but Paul felt he had to in order to write what he wanted.Paul finds out from a hospital worker that David had rewarded him by leaving him everything--lots of cash, jewelry, and a nice car. And cassette tapes with his autobiography.As Paul listens to the tapes, we see the events described. Once again, David says he is starting over in Los Angeles. In a scene with three bikini beauties, Paul meets blonde white actress Janet. She becomes the first of his girlfriends that we see. With her connections, and the fact that no one on the west coast has quality merchandise, David becomes a major drug dealer. David meets Juanita, a waitress studying to be a social worker, so Janet is tossed out like yesterday's trash. And she's not making it as an actress, so guess what she does for a living? Poor Juanita. And wait until you see what he does to Edna, who may have had his baby.To say David is not a nice person is a major understatement. But he's so charming that women want to be his girlfriend. Then they find out what he's really like.Why would I watch this movie? I'm white and a few months older than Barack Obama. These days, I'll watch anything I haven't seen. At least I'll get it over with. But for me personally, the movie had a few redeeming qualities.I won't say there's music for every taste. No classical, rock, or country. But nearly every style of jazz is represented. Some examples include muted trumpet with a rap beat, muted trumpet without a rap beat, a beautiful vocal performance in a club, and piano jazz in a nice restaurant. Of course there is gangsta rap. Two rap songs played for the closing credits are actually catchy, even for me.And then there is the bartender at The Blue Room. She has the same edgy charm that made her so appealing on an episode of My Network's "Tony Rock Project". At least I think that's her.The crazy judge from "Boston Legal" is a funeral director, but he's on very briefly and doesn't speak. That's a shame.DMX delivers a very good performance. Like I said, his character is not a nice man at all. And yet you sort of want to like him. You won't when you find out about him.Some unusual camera and editing techniques should be mentioned. One act of violence is shown from the victim's point of view. We see what he sees. In the scene with Edna everything is green or blue and seems to move in slow motion. The bikini babes disappear gradually as we jump forward in time several times from David's arrival to his first conversation with Janet.Of course I saw this on a My Network station, so the sound went out many times and the mouth of the character speaking was blurred. Something tells me I should be very glad of that. Once (I mention this because it could happen to you) the sound of dialogue went out for no apparent reason though I could hear music. The violence wasn't as bad as it could have been.I have a feeling this was a story worth seeing.

ebruva This is Donald Goines, not some wanna be street wise Tarantino Pulp Fiction junk. This movie will not appeal to those looking for a hero or a silver lining. You don't necessarily have had to live this kind of life, but it helps to understand the characters' motivations. The film doesn't glorify violence, misogyny, or the hustla's lifestyle. Life is not always clearly defined. There is not always a clear line between a hero and a villain. We all make choices and we all have to live with the consequences. You don't have to agree with the lifestyles of the characters in this film, but you should realize that this film was based on the real life experiences of the author. The street life, not as you want it to be, as you wish it to be, but as it is. "Never Die Alone" presents this lifestyle. 'It ain't where you from, it's where you at', not just physically but mentally.

kben-israel As the movie started out, it was almost too painful to watch. I imagine a few people walked out of the theater before realizing its worth. Not everyone is willing to go through the pain to get to the pleasure. If this movie had been imbued with more class and the corny lines were removed, it had the potential to be a classic. Unfortunately, all we are left with is the train who couldn't. The movie tries and you can feel it saying, "I think I can, I think I can". The weight of the opening act and awkward transition from cheese too wine is just too much for it to crest the hill. In the end we are left with nothing more than what if... What if someone took the time to do this right?