Juel Taylor crafts a tense, timely mystery that’s brimming with atmosphere, wildly smart, and packed with laughs at every single turn—an instant entry into the modern canon of incisive Black science fiction.
At first glance, They Cloned Tyrone is a silly satire of early ’70s blaxploitation flicks like Super Fly or Willie Dynamite that adds what writer-director Juel Taylor and writer Tony Rettenmaier call a “... dash of Scooby Doo.” Fortunately, the filmmakers here have something more in mind.
They Cloned Tyrone can be heavy-handed times and runs a bit long, but the committed performances of its plucky triumvirate of stars go a long way toward the fun.
The story takes a while to get going, then rambles a lot once the premise has been established. And the dialogue zooms along so fast that it can be hard to follow. But young filmmakers are supposed to take chances like this.
For all the areas where it doesn't quite work, however, there's no argument that They Cloned Tyrone digs into important topics and inequities, and sheds light on people who deserve to get more attention. It's also a bold film that takes big swings.
Great film, funny, action packed. Great cinematography. Really good as well from Jamie Foxx, John Boyega , Teyonah Paris & Kiefer Sutherland. The characters are very dynamic and the music used in the film is also really nice
They Cloned Tyrone is a surprising comedy/fiction that takes some ideas from other productions and mixes them into an authentic and very satirical creation. The script is intriguing and even intelligent in approaching cultural details in an ambiguous way and when making criticisms, whether expository or more meticulous. The text and the good performances of the central actors generate a sensational interaction between them, and it is precisely when the three are together that the most fun and funny moments happen. It's a well-written film with a script full of interesting insights and an intriguing plot that, together with the great performances, make They Cloned Tyrone one of Netflix's best productions this year.
Entertaining? Yes. Original? Not really.
The plot has enough intrigue, and its leading trio sustains the story properly, but there comes a point where the plot itself wants to emphasize the social theme so much that the rest gets lost, and instead of focusing on entertainment, the filmmaker seems more interested in delivering some sort of lecture.
They Cloned Tyrone primarily feeds on the paranoia that abounds in conspiracy theories. Above all else, it highlights the central point that the government and corporations conspire to keep things from us, concealing a sinister and tantalizing truth we are not allowed to see. Ironically, people often believe they are too smart to fall for such deception, not realizing that they themselves are creating their own versions of the truth.
But the undercurrent of paranoia is what fuels this movie. It starts with the familiarity of everyday life in the characters' existence and the reality they embody as stereotypical drug dealers. However, everything changes when the protagonist dies in one scene and then reappears alive in the next. That's where this movie really begins.
The conspiracy that unfolds makes Get Out seem tame by comparison, yet the sinister and intriguing premise doesn't lead to more satisfying results because instead of flowing like the thriller it purports to be, almost the entire third act focuses more on explaining stuff rather than providing thrills.
In essence, the film becomes excessively elaborate instead of intuitive and relaxed. It strives to overemphasize a concept rather than letting it unfold naturally.
It's not that viewers don't understand the concept, but rather the plot insists on constantly reiterating it, as if assuming the audience can't grasp it on their own. This approach ultimately weakens the overall impact of the film.
It's not the average junk with which Netflix usually fills its catalog, but it doesn't succeed in demonstrating anything outstanding either.
This movie had a lot of potential but it could not decide on being a comedy or a serious Sci-fi movie. All 3 of our main characters are scumbags and are unlikeable. Felt like it dragged towards the end. The racist commentary was appropriate.