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Editorial Review:
Amazon.com:
A worthy companion piece to 1991's Boyz N the Hood, John Singleton's Baby Boy expresses compassionate but unforgiving criticism of young, African American black men who lead reckless, irresponsible lives while blithely blaming racism for their chronic disadvantage. That's already enough to make this a provocative and emotionally challenging film, but Singleton injects his drama with such passionate vitality that it never seems inflammatory; instead, in presenting this portrait of a confused and conflicted 20-year-old black man named Jody (Tyrese Gibson), Singleton is both affectionate and accusatory, lending Baby Boy an edgy, timeless wisdom that other, less courageous films could never hope to offer.
Unemployed and living with his 36-year-old mother (A.J. Johnson), Jody has fathered children from two young mothers and seems destined for an early grave. He never knew his father, but his mother's new boyfriend Melvin (played to perfection by Ving Rhames) is an ex-con with streetwise maturity that Jody, in time, will come to recognize and respect. This generational dynamic is the lifeblood of Singleton's central theme; Jody can follow Melvin's example or fall into the trap of lawlessness personified by Rodney (Snoop Dogg), a violent gangsta who arrives to threaten Jody's tenuous chance at a respectable adulthood. Through a wealth of fine performances and blistering dialogue, Baby Boy presents hard questions with no easy answers, and although Singleton is prone to polemical melodrama, his blunt approach serves a noble and ultimately hopeful purpose. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Clumsy movie that makes excuses for irresponsible Black men.
John Singleton's baby Boy attempt to make a comment on the state of young black men in Los Angeles. However this irresponsible movie tends to glorify the irresponsible behavior of its male characters instead of explaining the reasons why Black men have such a hard time becoming responsible providers in their communities. Underneath all the violence, foul language and graphic sex of this film is the same disjointed writing, clumsy acting, unfocused direction and poor editing that is prominent in every ... Read More
Rating:  - Good Movie
This is one of my favorite movies. Tyrese plays the character "Jody" so well and he's so sexy while doing it. Taraji P. Henson is one of my favorite actresses as well and she does a good job at playing "Yvette." This movie takes you through life in the hood and a young male struggling on his journey to manhood.
Rating:  - good
i think alot of women out there can relate to tyrese's character jody and what he put his mother and his girl through.
Rating:  - A Moving Tale Of One Mans Fear To Leave His Mothers Nest
John Singleton is a director that has brought us great movies that are typically based on the life of a young African American facing some sort of struggle. This, to some may seem very clichéd and in a sense it is. John Singleton gives us the stereotypical Afro American in LA setting. This is something we see a lot in "Keeping it real" black movies, and simply a lot of young Afro-Americans will tell you that life in these areas is simply not like it's depicted. With the cliché this film does give us ... Read More
Rating: - One of the best films of the summer 2001
Baby Boy was one of the best films to be released in the summer of 2001. The film which tells the story of a man who needs to grow up, really hit home for guys who live in single parents with their mothers. The acting is exceptional in particular Tyrese who plays Jody. Snoop is also good as Rodney as is Omar Gooding. The best acting job comes from Ving Rhames as Jody's mom's new man and Taraji P. Henson as Jody's girl. This film is highly recommended. The only ones who didn't like it were those who didn't ... Read More
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