After a scuffle that ends with an on-campus cop (Forest Whitaker) getting shot in the leg, six students take over their school, holding the cop hostage and demanding improvements to their learning environment, such as books for every student and, um, window repairs. Basically a ghetto-transplanted, hostage-situation The Breakfast Club, featuring a mathematically diverse group of teenagers, Light It Up pilfers urban angst high school themes from other good kids-bad school movies (Lean On Me, 187) and its paint-by-numbers plot culminates in the inevitable martyrdom of which ever kid(s) it would be most poignant to kill off. Castwise, the kids are alright (Usher Raymond, Sara Gilbert, Robert Ri'chard), the adults (Vanessa L. Williams, Judd Nelson) less so. Not a necessary purchase. (R. Blackwelder)
Light It Up
Fox, 100 min., R, VHS: $106.99, DVD: $34.98, June 13 Vol. 15, Issue 3
Light It Up
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: