User reviews

Director John Singleton hits the black manhood where it hurts. His theme for the movie from the start is that black men in America are little more than babies. He rails against the culture that infantilize them and the men who live that way.

Joseph Summers (Tyrese Gibson) is a young black man struggling to get by. He lives with his mama (Candy Ann Brown). His baby mama Yvette (Taraji P. Henson) is frustrated with him. She starts going with gangster Rodney (Snoop Dogg). His mother has a new boyfriend Mel (Ving Rhames) who's done time.

It's very tough. Joseph makes mistakes. He's an idiot at times, but he isn't a bad guy. Tyrese Gibson doesn't allow him to play the fool in this. He instills the character with humanity even when things are at the lowest. If there is one message, I think Singleton is trying to tell young black men to get their sh14 together.

While watching this movie, I had absolutely no idea what I would end up rating it. It was not an enjoyable experience. Not until it was over did I realize what a good job John Singleton had actually done. This was not a comedy, nor a romantic story, but a true depiction of SOME (NOT ALL) aspects of Black life. I recognized each and everyone of these characters, for better or worse. They were not exaggerated or sugar-coated, but portrayed in a true light which is often difficult to watch or accept. Which explained my uncomfortableness, I'm sure that was the point and it was well received. 7 out of 10***

Baby Boy (2001) is a John Singleton picture that I recently rewatched on Tubi. The storyline follows a young man who lives with his mom, has a baby mama and has a side chick. He does his best to treat his baby mama right and create a direction with her...but is too selfish to let his side chick go. Meanwhile, his mom has a new lover and he's worried about getting kicked out. Will Baby Boy grow up and become a man and do what he needs to do to do right by the women in his life, or stay at his mom's house for life acting like the world owes him something?

As previously referenced, this movie is written and directed by John Singleton (Boyz N the Hood) and stars Tyrese Gibson (Transformers), Taraji P. Henson (Hustle & Flow), Ving Rhames (Pulp Fiction), Omar Gooding (Ghost Dad), Mo'Nique (Precious), A. J. Johnson (House Party), Snoop Dogg (Training Day) and Tamara Bass (Boston Public).

This movie is so well cast and written and contains a nice blend of comedy, drama and self-discovery. A. J. Johnson and Taraji P. Henson are absolutely gorgeous in this picture. There's some good shower and sex scenes in this picture. Ving Rhames steals the show though as his performance is hilarious, strong and impactful. Every scene he is in is tremendous. The breakfast scene, mom sex sounds through the wall and clothes selling sequences always crack me up. The acting is also very good, Henson's "he don't love me anymore" scene is tremendous. The ending with the character evolutions and new perspectives is also perfectly written. The one aspect of the movie that frustrated me was Tyrese's acting, which was inconsistent. His dreams and the shooting sequence were poorly done.

Overall, this is a very worthwhile film that isn't Singleton's best work but is definitely worth a viewing. I would score this a 7-7.5/10 and strongly recommend it.

I really liked "Baby Boy." But maybe that's because I'm as white as they come. I've just read some other User Comments here, and whether John Singleton does or does not dish-up nothing but stereotypes about blacks, I won't debate. Look, I totally dug this film because of other reasons. While watching "Baby Boy," I had two thoughts: 1) that I don't relate to the 'black' culture presented, but 2) this didn't matter because I did relate TOTALLY to a lot of the issues at the core of this story. Psychological and emotional issues about growing up, about cheating, about love, about undesirable characters working their way back into your life and screwing everything up. And so on. OK, I understand Users' complaints here about "stereotypes," but I say to them, "Don't worry about it... this white guy kind of thought the same thing, too, and so this movie didn't paint a picture for me of 'what all blacks' lifestyles must be.'" Dudes, all I saw were universal themes about, like I said, about love, about becoming a responsible adult, and all that. White people go thru exactly the same shi.. stuff. Those universal themes just happened to be wrapped up in some kind of black wrapping paper. This viewer set that paper aside, and appreciated the gift inside. This movie really pressed some emotional buttons with me, and I appreciated it. [And by the way, we white people don't assume that all black people see all white people as the characters we are presented as in films: all the terrorists, rapists, mid-western nerd housewives, financiers, CEOs, trailer-trash, etc etc etc. Why do (some of) you assume we think ALL blacks "are" as presented in films such as "Baby Boy"? We don't. Period.]

In fact, I could relate to the issues of this film's men AND women. So, this script was universal in that way, too. Anyway, here's all what I really wanted to say about this film: All these emotional issues were brought to life by EXCELLENT performances. (I say Ving Rhames is one of our best actors working in America today. He is consistently excellent; I never see him "acting," I always only see him "being" his character. And his performance here in "Baby Boy" was Oscar-worthy, if you ask me).

I had no idea, until the ending credits, that "Baby Boy" was written and directed by John Singleton. Honestly, while watching it (on cable) I was convinced that it must have been written by a woman, because it so perfectly expressed such poignant emotional moments. Of course, the actors - and Singleton as director - can also share credit for those moments. Also while watching, I had the thought that "this is well-directed; who did this?" I guess my point here is [and this comment may annoy some Users here] that "Baby Boy" offers proof of Singleton's talents as one of those very good filmmakers who actually DESERVES the accolades critics and "industry" people give him. [Although, I never saw "Higher Learning," which Users here say stunk.] Anyway, not the BEST film ever, but a solid 3 out of 4 stars. [Okay, one more word about the acting in this flick: I'm an actor myself, and many of the performances here made me LOVE acting... there were nice meaty scenes and speeches here, and always so well done that it made me proud to be an actor. (Especially one monologue by Mr Rhames -- phenomenal, Sir!). Bravo to all this cast.] Perhaps the best overall thing I can say about "Baby Boy" is that it left me wanting to see it again.

In 2001, I did not like this move. In 2021, I can appreciate why it is loved by so many.

With age and life experiences comes understanding as well as an appreciation of things.

John Singleton had a way of capturing the heart, creativity, culture, love and struggle of black people that still resonates today. You can see how his movies set the stage for other classics such as Jason's Lyric, The Wood, Friday and many others.

I actually liked Baby Boy...some people are being to harsh on the movie because they didn't see Jodi growing up...I see people are talking about the ending and how he didn't really come of age, but he did grow up from the start of the movie...at the end we actually don't know what happens except for the fact that he moved in with his girl...the movie has some characters that I identify with and I can say so and so reminds me of ____. Plus the movie is called Baby Boy, I mean what more could u expect from the title and the movie poster...something intellectual??? Look at the other movies that John Singleton has made they were all mostly about hood figures...I mean come on people every movie is not gonna be motivational and have a deep meaning...

I watched this movie when it first premiere in 2001. Afterward, I thought it was pretty dumb and didn't do anything but was 2 hours. Fast forward a couple of decades, and I did some reading on the background of the movie. Knowing that Singleton wrote the part of Jody for Tupac Shakur, and his untimely death resulted in Tyrese Gibson ultimately landing the role, the performance he gave was amazing, as Tupac was a gifted artist. This movie may not ever make it into the Library of Congress, but it is an underrated movie for sure and went unappreciated, in my opinion, and I'm not blameless in that. Singleton wrote and directed a great movie. Can't quite call it a masterpiece, but great, nonetheless.

John Singleton's take on young African American men with an oedipus complex may not be entirely succesful but it definitely delivers some powerful moments. The faults of the film can't be pinned on the cast. They all give solid performances, particularly Ving Rhames in yet another standout performance. The problems with the film, however, lie solely in the script, which could have used another rewrite. Another problem

is in the running time, it just goes on too long. While some scenes score a dramatic home run, others go on long after the point has been made. A few trims here and there would have made this film perfect. Don't get me wrong though, this film is certainly the best one I've seen so far this summer and kudos go to Columbia for releasing a film that explores social and political issues in the middle of a summer filled with dreadful, commercial junk.

John Singleton did an excellent job portraying a young African American urban male, who is not a gang member or a street pharmacist. Jody is just trying to live. I thought the opening scene was very artistic, didn't love it though. I loved the relationship between Jody and his best friend Sweetpea. Both are trying to live but with different ways to do it. But despite differences, they both have each other's back. I liked Ving Rhames character as well (Melvin). Melvin showed that the street mentality never leaves a street thug, but he can learn to make better and more positive choices. His character showed that anyone can make it in life, once they have accepted who they are and where they are going. The women played strong roles as well. Not the typical cinematic role for a black woman either. Both Yvette and Jody's mother, Juanita, proved to be strong black women in their own way. Excellent movie, a little sluggish once or twice, but whose life isn't?! Singleton kept it true to the game. No one's life is truly cinematic, if it was then we wouldn't need cinema.

One thing that John Singleton has always done well is show white people what it's like to be black. Baby Boy takes another step, showing a black man in domestic life. It's about Jody, played surprisingly well by Tyrese Gibson, who constantly cheats on his girlfriend even though he loves her. Omar Gooding, Ving Rhames, and Snoop Dogg, play various people in his life, and each one influences him to make his final decision. Omar Gooding, who up until this had done children's sitcoms, plays his best friend who is dealing with alot of the same problems as Jody, but is more impulsive and not as smart, so he gets himself into trouble more. Ving Rhames, the highlight performance of the movie, plays Jody's mother's new boyfriend. At first Jody resents him, but Ving Rhames ends up being an inspirational figure. And Snoop Dogg plays the villain, an ex-con who sets his sights on Jody's girlfriend, and brings Jody to a point where he either has to leave all his childish ways behind and be a man, or lose everything he loves. Being white, it was eye opening to see how Jody lived. It was kind of a culture shock. All in all, I'd say that this movie was very entertaining, and, for me anyway, informative.

Oh my goodness.

Movies like this, that are more pervasive than rare in Hollywood these days, are the reason why "The Cosby Show" was seen as so 'unbelievable' in the 80s.

This film is so FULL of negative, degrading and pitiful stereotypes that I am SURPRISED that John Singleton was responsible for it.

The oft-maligned film (at least here on IMDB) "Higher Learning," was FAR superior to this crap. At least there was SOME intelligent dialogue and POSITIVE images. This entire film was like an average black person's nightmare and racists' wet dream.

I have a friend who is trying to stake his claim in Hollywood right now, but I'm OH so GLAD that he hasn't sold his soul to appear in utter crap like this.

Hollywood makes no more Eve's Bayou's, but plenty of Booty Calls, Undercover Brothers and bile such as this flick. The unfortunate truth is that THESE are the films that sell these days. So as long as people believe and attempt to justify these modern day minstrel shows, decent black cinema won't have a chance.

For those of you who find irony in this in the wake of Halle Berry and Denzel Washington's (much deserved) Oscar wins this year, remember what they won them for: A corrupt, evil, immoral black cop, and an ignorant, poor, single black mother.

You know- Just like REAL life.

Or is it?

I say 'no', but then again.. who am I? Just (yet another) disappointed black film goer.

Baby Boy, the sequel-cum-remake of Singleton's last great feat Boyz 'N' the Hood, returns to the same neighborhoood 10 years later to look at new people in the hood, very personally at that, and it is fascinating.

The film stars in a debut of Tyrese Gibson (some may remember Cuba Gooding got his first speaking role with Boyz) as Jody, a boy (age 20) who still lives with his mother, is the father of 2 children from 2 different mothers, has no real job and often just hangs about complaining and being spoiled. The film looks at this character, but also the forces that sort of make him into what he is. It is a really good character portrait that also has some really fired up performances from Ving Rhames, as a new ex-con boyfriend of his mother, A.J. Johnson as the mother, Omar Gooding (Gooding Jr.'s brother) as Jody's good friend, especially Taraji P. Henson in one of the best female performances of the year as Jody's girlfriend and also mother of one of his children, and of course, Snoop Dogg as a version of himself (albiet evil). It's a delight from the streak of not that good movies out now, and it should be able to appeal to both black and white audiences. Definately reccomended. A-

One of Singleton's best works, Baby Boy is surprising in that...it's a comedy! While the film is a coming-of-age story, the situations Jody finds himself in are easily(and unexpectedly) remedied. While some subject matter is indeed of a serious nature, the ultimate work is a comedy wrapped in dramatic fashion. The characters, while apparently ignorant, are actually multidimensional and make the movie worth watching. Singleton plays with urban stereotypes, and delivers a nice piece on maturity and responsibility. As its name implies, it is the antithesis of Boyz N The Hood, and as a stand-alone effort, is just another story about growing up in L.A. Please do not misread me. The movie is not a laugh-fest, and it was not designed to be. However, it crosses that subtle gray line in the manner of other movies, notably Wild At Heart and The Long Goodbye. On paper and print, they are dramatic. But when you take a second look, you appreciate the comedy of errors, played out for all its glory. Baby Boy is like an urban Wizard of Oz; the characters grow, and people get what they deserve in the end. I made the mistake of overlooking the film myself, and I am glad I finally saw it.

R&B Crooner Tyrese takes a stab at acting in this realistic film about 'Baby Boy' . He thinks he's a man... he's got 2 kids. But really, he's just a baby who doesn't want to leave the cosy confines of his momma's house. There's no actual real plot-line to this movie, it's basically just an excerpt from Baby Boy's life - detailing his relationships with his mother, his kids, his kid's mothers and his mother's new man. Rapper Snoop Dogg also appears in this, as a rather nasty-lookin ex-boyfriend of Tyrese's woman. Fine directing, strong acting, a good metaphorical element about him being in the womb and sly humour make Baby Boy a good watch... although those sexually inhibited might find this a bit strong!

John Singleton's films can be so gutsy. He does not 'pussyfoot' around the storyline, nor the language/spoken words involved. He stands by the character of the characters. (Boyz N the Hood 1991; Poetic Justice 1993; Rosewood 1996.) The story has genuine substance and no frills. In "Baby Boy", Tyrese Gibson's Jody is surely one who pussyfoots around life, living at his mother's house, driving his girlfriend Yvette's car, certainly a Mama's boy without himself realizing he's not behaving quite yet like a (grown/mature) man at 20. Ving Rhames as his mother's lover man around the house is the contrasting model of a mature man next to Jody. It's a hard, up-front and honest look at the love-hate, tug-of-war relationship between Jody and Yvette, the young man and the young woman, the macho and the overly sensitive aspects that young couples have.

As we are wrapped up in the ups and downs of Jody and Yvette, the arguments between them, it may not be immediately obvious what a powerful social statement the director is making. There are frank languages, and bold, intimate scenes on screen. NFE (Not for everyone.) It's good for 20 something's and above. For parents, too. Respect on both sides are required in a family where the young and the grownups need to live with each other - actively listen and understand each other, together.

Very strong casting besides Tyrese as Jody and Ving Rhames as Melvin. There's Taraji P. Henson as Jody's woman Yvette; A.J. Johnson as Jody's Mom Juanita; and Omar Gooding as Jody's buddy Sweetpea.

For a while, it may seem nothing much is happening other than the back and forth following Jody: at home with Mom, at Yvette's lazing around and playing with his son, bantering with buddy Sweetpea and trying to sell stuff on the streets to no avail…but when conflict arises and sparks action in motion, the film's rhythm changes and you're 'jolted' back into conscious reality of the scheme of things. Life changes inevitably, whether you like it or not. Jody definitely has to shape up and cross over to grownup land.

Singleton is truly skillful and sensitive at his art of depicting on film the various aspects of life in the Hood. Bravo to his efforts of "Baby Boy."

When I first saw the trailer for Baby Boy, I couldn't wait for it to come out. I kept telling my girlfriend how I thought John Singleton had come back with a sure hit. After seeing Baby Boy, I was so disappointed. It was boring and the storyline was weak. He basically depicted the blackman as being a low life and a no good petty thug. I am Latino and I wouldn't appreciate someone categorizing me as that. Also, the women in this movie where dragged through the mud. They were perceived as stupid and as having no respect for themselves. John Singleton seems to have run out of material as he had to resort to the same kind of movie that first brought him success. The movie could have done without Snoop Doggs part as it was a waste of time. Jody (Tyrese)did not change at all through out the movie. At the end he was still what he began as, a baby boy. Nobody grew or became a better person in this entire movie. It insulted Black people and is a poor excuse for an urban drama. I like that gangsta $*@# too but this was sorry. I admit there were plenty of laughs and the directing by Singleton was excellent but not enough to call this a good movie.

Singleton's solid direction didn't save the uneven pacing of this film , and not only the pacing, there's a lot of Gap that occurred here, i don't know what it is exactly but probably the lack of resolution and the absence of consequences that suppose to be given to some of the lead characters, i don't know maybe its just me. The story opens with a fresh sequence on the definition of why a black male is defined as a baby boy, we are then introduced with the title character , Jody , A 20 yr old unachieving young man trying to break free off the directionless life on the street but seems to do little about it,instead he prefers the good old in and out and sampling other local females, despite already giving babies to his steady girlfriend and another mistress type of woman,oh yes, he also lives with his young mom who still samples on different type of thug boyfriends, that is until the biggest thug,Melvin aka Ving Rhames came by , took the heart of mom, and leave Jody with Oedipus angst, now i leave it to here, since it is really hard to break down a summary for this one, every scenes seems to be working like a mini episodes of themselves, which is also the weakness of this film.

It really had potential to be a classic movie, but you're never really sure whether it is meant to be a comedy, drama or a thriller as all of these aspects are thrown in there, but it often leaves you wondering what is going on. Ving's character had potential to be a real strong, powerful character that you could learn lessons from etc and to an extent he is, however, it is undermined by the regular and frequent comedic turns he is asked to perform throughout the movie. Don't get me wrong, they are funny, but like i said, the film's issues in my opinion are too serious to warrant it. The main character Jodie is not likable, and i feel he is supposed to be a bit of an antihero type, but he simply doesn't come across like that, due to partly not great acting, and bad writing. That sadly, is the case for the whole movie, Henson's acting is superb as always, but the script is corny and cliché'd. Sometimes it works, some times it doesn't. I'm a fan of hip hop, and hood movies too, and this is still probably one of the better ones. Even though i've pointed out the bad points, i would still watch this again sometimes for the moments that are memorable.

Overall rating: 6 out of 10.

Baby boy is a great movie that combines drama, comedy, music and action to convey meaningful social issues. I loved the way this movie developed and the way the characters developed. THere are about five parts that made me laugh hysterically outloud. If you like John Singleton and great acting then watch this movie. It is a pleasure.

I felt BABY BOY exposed and condemned certain stereotypes, not just merely perpetuated them. The film isn't a typical 2-hour disposable entertainment that's packed with cliché. It's a thoughtful drama that asks everyone watching which character they most closely resemble. "Which jerk are you most like?" It's the story of a self-described "man" REALIZING he's actually an immature boy in a man's body. Know anyone like that? Male? Female?

I'm the whitest white guy you'll ever meet, and BABY BOY is one of the few "black films" that didn't insult me by perpetuating black (or merely human)stereotypes in an IRRESPONSIBLE way. In the black characters, I saw countless white people I have had the displeasure of knowing (and a few I resemble myself). It's not about BLACK or WHITE. It's about JACKASSES in any color, gender, shape or size. Pay attention. Leap over that color barrier.

Hated SHAFT, though! Ugh.

Jody (Tyrese Gibson) is an immature unemployed Afro-American, living with his mother in a ghetto and having a son with his girl-friend Yvette (Taraji P. Henson), but not assuming a family of his own and not being faithful to Ivette. Jody has a serious Oedipus complex problem and Sweetpea (Omar Gooding) is his best-friend. When his mother gets a new boy-friend, the dangerous Melvin (Ving Rhames), and the former boy-friend of Yvette, Rodney (Snoop Dogg), leaves the prison on probation, Jody has to find a destination to his life.

"Baby Boy" is not the best work of John Singleton. Although having a great performance of the Afro-American cast, the story about reaching the maturity in a dangerous ghetto is too long and all the characters are non-charismatic. It takes too much time for the twist point and I really did not like this movie. Maybe American viewers, who live closer to this reality, may appreciate "Baby Boy". My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Baby Boy – O Rei da Rua" ("Baby Boy – The King of the Street")

I first watched this film years ago. The drama is so over the top it's hilarious. I fast forwarded to the key scenes because they are genuinely good but overall it's a letdown because of the meladrama. Please believe me.

A slice of life and pretty accurate depiction of a certain place and it's people. I've known people like this and all of the actors do a good job except Snoop Dogg, who leaves much to be desired. However, it's the tone of this movie that bothers me, especially given all the pathetic and despicable characters.