Notorious
User Score
5.4 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 61 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 43 out of 61
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 61
  3. Negative: 13 out of 61

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  1. Sasha
    Jan 16, 2009
    6
    The actor has a resemblance to Biggie, but is missing the lazy eyes. The story leaves out the murders Biggie committed and the movie serves to prop him up as a hero instead of understand the true evil behind the man. That said, evaluating this movie not from a historically accurate lens allows us to see that a good film, with good acting exists on camera. Maybe it should just be fiction.
  2. Sasha
    Jan 16, 2009
    6
    The actor has a resemblance to Biggie, but is missing the lazy eyes. The story leaves out the murders Biggie committed and the movie serves to prop him up as a hero instead of understand the true evil behind the man. That said, evaluating this movie not from a historically accurate lens allows us to see that a good film, with good acting exists on camera. Maybe it should just be fiction.
  3. John
    Jan 17, 2009
    0
    A bad film.Notorious is bored.
  4. AshleyM.
    Jan 17, 2009
    10
    I am a Big Biggie Fan and I know he died at the end but the movie move me so much to tears! He went before his time! I will always love Big Poppa!
  5. bryans
    Jan 18, 2009
    6
    A mixture of a hastily cut together rememberings of The Notorious and Cloverfield. Half of the movie i had no idea what was going on because the camera would be shaking so heavily you weren't sure what was going on. The movement of the film seemed like they were only bigs afterthoughts to his life. a cheesy and bad voice over job did what little progression the movie showed. in some of the later scenes you couldn't tell if it was 17 year old christopher wallace or 24 year old B.I.G. overall this movie was just above decent. Definitely not what i wanted to see about one of my favorite rappers.… Expand
  6. CalvinL
    Jan 19, 2009
    2
    The movie Notorious had the worse characters acting the role of the rappers, it was horrible my dad could have played tupac and the film was not detailed at all, the clips that were showed are every day clips you could catch on youtube or bet about biggie. Im a Biggie fan and it didnt make me see the name behind B.I.G. I think puff rushed this film and wouldnt recommend no one to go spend there money and time to see this movie, get on bootleg and I dont support bootleg movies It was horrible.… Expand
  7. TG
    Jan 22, 2009
    9
    The acting was actually very good. It was surprising to me that it actually felt like a great movie that an A List Celebrity would do. Some of the actors and actresses could have done a better job but the main characters were all dead on, especially P. Diddy's depiction, with all the dancing lol.
  8. ChadS.
    Jan 23, 2009
    5
    For an indie-rock fan like myself, insulated from the casual scatology of gangsta rap, east coast/west coast in the early-to-mid-nineties, symbolized Chapel Hill's unsuccessful attempt to usurp Seattle as ground zero in the wake of the alternative rock explosion. Archers of Loaf's "Web in Front"("Stuck a pin in your backbone/Spoke it down from there...") should have been the scene's breakout song that challenged Kurt Cobain for his throne, and put North Carolina, front and center, in the nation's consciousness. Sad for the true believers, Eric Bachmann never was a household name, and never will be. But that's no reason to reach for your revolver and shoot Eddie Vedder, right? Watching "Notorious", it all came back to me, the sensational news report about musicians planning hits on each other like street gangs; a scenario that would seemed ludicrous, even for the equally squalid American hardcore scene. While all musical biopics sanitize their subjects, "Notorious" seems ill-fitted for the kid gloves treatment, you would think, since the appeal of Christopher Wallace's music was his song-as-documentary approach. "Notorious" doesn't keep it real. Save the sentimental scenes with his mother(Angela Bassett) for a Tyler Perry flick. Whitewashing the street out from The Notorious B.I.G.'s soul, robs his music and lyrics of its visceral tableau quality. "Notorious" demystifies gangsta rap by refuting the perception that both factions plotted the deaths of their two brightest stars. Gangsta rap, with all its violent imagery, nihilism, and misoginistic notions about women, can only be justified, as the argument is made time and time again by the genre's proponents, that it's a reflection of inner city life. If gangsta rap is not always unequivocally honest, which "Notorious" suggests, since the filmmaker absolves Wallace and his entourage from any part in Tupak Shakur's assassination, the two rap artists edge closer to being professional wrestlers, than men who talk and walk. Art imitating life is one thing, but if life is imitating an art that creates the life it purports to be imitating, then the naysayers have a point about rap being a menace to society. The novelty of a dead narrator goes all the way back to Billy Wilder's "Sunset Boulevard" when William Holden did the honors, but Shakur fans might be rankled by the B.I.G.'s VO, since the documentary "Tupac: Resurrected" used the same tactic.… Expand
  9. DanA.
    Jan 25, 2009
    7
    Don't listen to bullshit about people complaining that Notorious isn't "historically accurate," because they, and the majority of people don't know Biggie the way people like his mother, cousin, close friends, and associates did. All of which were integral part in making this film. They presented this film and the story from the best point of view they can, and that is exactly what Biggie went through. Notorious tells the tale of a man following the poor examples of everyone around him in the ghetto, striving to be somebody, and in his final moments where he has a grip on life, is brutally and tragically killed. A few portions of the movie suffer from some poor dialogue or just stale delivery, but it is still good. The funeral scene in particular brought tears to my eyes. The events Voletta Wallace has had to experience are truly horrific. It is blasphemy that suspects of this murder who have hard evidence against them were never brought to justice. Jamal Woolard does a spot-on job as Biggie. When you see how this man normally acts and the transformation he makes to take on this role, it is truly impressive. Angela Basset delivers a powerful performance as Big's mother, and the rest of the cast is mostly just solid talent.… Expand
  10. JillB.
    Jan 27, 2009
    8
    The movie was wonderful the camera shoots fantastic this movie was done with care the music was great! I give it a 8 very entertaining!!!!!!
  11. HenryF.
    Jan 31, 2009
    8
    This movie really showed me how a person with real talent can grow up in the worst situations, and still end up at the top, no matter what. 8/10 for Notorious.
  12. JOHNG.
    Feb 5, 2009
    0
    Poorly Executed Acting along with Poorly constructed Situations. The Tone of the movie overall was monotonous, along with the tasteless Nudity. This movie is why the notion "Less is more" is so Powerful.
  13. bobbym
    Feb 13, 2009
    8
    Actors that played puffy & 2pac were off it seemed. However Jamal Woolard couldn't have portrayed big any better. The movie be a 5 disk season set, but since it is a movie, they did a great job choosing what to put in and take out. Highly recommend.
  14. JayH
    Apr 18, 2009
    5
    The performances are excellent, but as a biography, it seems like the director had too much footage and threw together scenes resulting in a story which only scratches the surface of the title character. Too much is squeezed into an already too long two hour time frame. Perhaps a more skillful director could have pulled it all together.
  15. JamesS
    Apr 20, 2009
    7
    I thought derek luke did a great job playin Puff but Gravy was to shluby to play big,he had no star apeal to me.It was entertaing I liked it.
  16. antwianf
    Apr 20, 2009
    6
    all of biggie's hit's were included which is a big plus.some of the acting was good and some bad, just like 8 mile which got mostly rave reviews in it's opening. this movie will open your eyes and inform you about biggie and the game. streetsa and industry.
  17. AlexH
    May 11, 2009
    4
    A boring passable film on one of the most convtroversal figures of his time, Christopher Wallace, a.k.a. The Notorious B.I.G.
  18. YoursTruly
    Nov 13, 2012
    2
    Bad in every way. Bad acting. Bad directing. Bad pacing. Bad dialog. Bad. Bad. Bad.

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
60 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 32 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 32
  3. Negative: 2 out of 32
  1. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Kirk Honeycutt
    70
    For a man apparently making his first film, Woolard carries the movie like a pro. Cross your fingers that this is no fluke, for this guy could be a real comer.
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  2. Variety
    Reviewed by: John Anderson
    70
    A rock-solid biopic with a foolproof rise-and-fall storyline and a warmly nuanced performance by Jamal Woolard.
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  3. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Robert Wilonsky
    50
    Notorious, despite its bigger-than-life subject and habit of dripping sex sweat at the most unexpected moments, is rather square.
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