A stream-of-consciousness day in the life (and sometimes death) of a happy-go-lucky group of Latin American teens from South Central L.A., who travel to Beverly Hills to skateboard and then have to flee back home, Larry Clark's (Kids, Bully) latest is very different in tone from his earlier films. Of course, Wassup Rockers still has a sociological point to make, but it takes a weirdly comic tack that makes the message more palatable than Clark's previous “serious” statements: the twist here is that the skateboarders—whom the locals see as dangerous interlopers—are just a bunch of naive, goofy, harmless guys, and they turn out to be the ones endangered by the powerful, predatory members of “high society” they meet. The film eventually morphs into an oddball reversal on The Warriors, in which the essentially sweet-natured crew has to make its way back home through a battlefield not of rival gangs but of lascivious young girls, their brutal boyfriends, sex-crazed socialites, rich pedophiles, gun-toting vigilante mansion-owners, and racist cops. There's nothing terribly profound about Wassup Rockers, which also has a few unsettling moments when the camera pans almost lustfully over the boys' bare bodies, but its relatively light touch is a welcome contrast to Clark's heavier efforts. Recommended. (F. Swietek)
Wassup Rockers
First Look, 100 min., R, DVD: $24.99, Nov. 21 Volume 21, Issue 6
Wassup Rockers
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: