3 Strikes (film)
| 3 Strikes | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | DJ Pooh |
| Written by | DJ Pooh |
| Produced by | Marcus Morton |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | John Simmons |
| Edited by | John Carter |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date |
|
Running time | 82 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $3.4 million[1] |
| Box office | $9.8 million[1] |
3 Strikes is a 2000 American screwball comedy film written and directed by DJ Pooh. The film stars Brian Hooks as Rob Douglas, a man just released from a one-year sentence in jail, who already has two strikes to his name. Since he is living under California's three strikes law, Rob decides to go straight and leave the street life alone. However, things go horribly wrong for him as he gets involved in an altercation with the police upon the day of his release. The plot centers on Rob as he evades the police until he can prove his innocence, for fear that he will be put away for good with a third strike. David Alan Grier, Faizon Love, and N'Bushe Wright co-star.
Plot
Robert "Rob" Douglas is in prison. According to a local news report there has been a law- California's three strikes law, which will put three time offenders in prison for a minimum of twenty-five years. Rob is currently finishing his second bid in prison. It is his last day in jail.
Rob calls his friend Tone to pick him up from jail but Tone gets caught up with a woman he just met and asks J.J. to pick up Rob. Rob is picked up by J.J. and just as Rob tells him he never plans to go back to prison, cops pull the two over and J.J. shoots the cops. J.J. tells Rob that the car was stolen and Rob trying to elude his third strike escapes from the scene and hides at his girlfriend, Juanita’s house. J.J. is wounded and detained by the police.
Rob learns that the police is still searching for him and that he is on the most wanted list. Detective Jenkins is investigating the case and searching for Rob.
J.J. is restricted to a hospital bed due to his injuries. He calls his friend Blue, and tells him that when the police come and question him about the shootout, he is going to put the blame on Rob. Soon after, J.J is raped (off-screen) by a homosexual janitor who had been lusting after his buttocks, which was where he had been wounded.
Rob runs into his old friend Mike who helps him with some money. Rob and Juanita meet at a hotel while Detective Jenkins stops at Rob's home to try to find him that night. The next morning, Rob’s mother tells him the police have been looking for him, and some girl named Dahlia called saying she had some information that could keep him out of jail. Dahlia tells Rob to come to her place for a tape that could get him out of the situation he's in.
Rob asks Mike to get him a good lawyer and leaves for Dahlia’s home. Dahlia tells Rob that she will give him the taped conversation between J.J. and Blue (her brother) about the shootout if she can have her way with him, much to his disgust.
Blue tells Tone that Rob is at his house and Tone and his crew go to get him. The cops land up there as well. After a chase, Rob gives himself up at a church where Mike has brought a Lawyer.
Sometime later, in the final verdict, though Rob does not receive his third strike, he is sentenced to 30 days in jail for violating his parole. Rob's father tells him he will pick him up from jail himself when he gets out the next time. The film's epilogue states that Rob is eventually released from prison early due to overcrowding.
Cast
- Brian Hooks as Robert "Rob" Douglas
- Antonio Fargas as Uncle Jim Douglas
- Barima McKnight as Blue
- Bennet Guillory as Stan Wilson
- David Alan Grier as Detective Jenkins
- David Leisure as District Attorney
- Dean Norris as Officer Roberts
- De'Aundre Bonds as J.J.
- DJ Pooh as Trick Turner/Taxi Driver
- E-40 as Mike
- Faizon Love as Tone
- George Wallace as Mr. Douglas
- Harmonica Fats as Grandpa Johnson
- Meagan Good as Buela Douglas
- Mo'Nique as Dahlia
- N'Bushe Wright as Juanita Johnson
- Phil Morris as Mr. Libowitz
- Starletta DuPois as Ms. Douglas
- Rashaan Nall as T-Bird
- Vincent Schiavelli as Cortino
Cameo appearances
- Anthony Anderson as Prison Guard (uncredited)
- Big Boy as Dre
- Jerry Dunphy as Himself
- Mike Epps as Dee
Reception
Box office
The film opened at #12 at the North American box office making $3,684,704 USD in its opening weekend.[1]
Critical response
The film received overwhelmingly negative reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 0% based on reviews from 29 critics.[2] Metacritic rated it 11/100 based on 16 reviews.[3] Joe Leydon of Variety called it "exuberantly rude and crude, but generally more frantic than genuinely funny".[4]
Soundtrack
A soundtrack containing hip hop music was released on February 22, 2000 by Priority Records. It peaked at the 190th position on the Billboard 200 and number 52 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.[citation needed]
References
- ^ a b c "3 Strikes". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
- ^ "3 Strikes (2000)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
- ^ "3 Strikes". Metacritic. Retrieved 2015-06-12.
- ^ Leydon, Joe (2000-03-01). "Review: '3 Strikes'". Variety. Retrieved 2015-06-12.