Keep it Reel: 'Superfly'

By Marc Woodfork

'Superfly' is the remake of the 1970's film of the same name. The first question many movie-goers will ask is "Why?" Having grown up with the original, when I heard about the remake, I asked the same question. 'Why?' The answer is, 'why not? The original was slick, cool and flashy and for a lot of people at that time, defined how their life was going. The same sentiments are true for this version.

'Superfly' is just as flashy, slick and cool as the original. Relative newcomer to the big screen, Trevor Jackson is good in the lead role. He is charismatic enough to carry the load. Obviously, the script had to be updated to match today's times, but the essence of what made the original such a classic still holds in this version. The soundtrack blends perfectly with the images and brilliantly sets the tone throughout the story.

Keep the kids at home for this one. It is filled with a lot of violence. Is this better than the original? Probably not. But I guess that depends on perspective. Those of us that grew up with the original will probably vote for that one. But these two shouldn't be compared. The original worked for the time period it was made, and this version works for this time period. That's the beauty of filmmaking, the ability to present material to new audiences yet still include audiences that came before.