All About the Benjamins

Theatrical Release Date: 2002 03 08 (USA)

UPC: 794043546624

Studio: New Line Home Video

MPAA Rating: R   Contains:[Violence, Profanity, Sexual Situations]

Summary: Rap star and actor Ice Cube produces, co-writes, and stars in this comic crime thriller that reunites him with his Next Friday (1999) co-star Mike Epps in the 48 Hrs. (1982) mold. Cube plays Bucum Jackson, a Miami bounty hunter for Martinez Bail Bonds who's tired of his dangerous, unprofitable profession and wants to start his own private investigation firm. Lacking stake money, Bucum is forced to hunt down a small-time grafter named Reggie Wright (Epps), a fast-talking confidence man who's crossed his path before. Except that this time, Wright tries to avoid his pursuer by hiding in a van being driven by a pair of murderous diamond thieves who've just made off with 20 million dollars worth of stones. They're in the employ of lethal crime lord and yacht broker Williamson (Tommy Flanagan), someone that neither Reggie nor Bucum is anxious to cross, but it seems that Reggie left his wallet in the van, a wallet containing a winning lottery ticket worth 60 million dollars. The hunt is on for big money as the mismatched duo tries to outfox a wily syndicate for both the ticket and the precious gems. The directorial debut of music video director Kevin Bray, All About the Benjamins (2002) co-stars Eva Mendes, Carmen Chaplin, Valarie Rae Miller, Jeff Chase, Roger Guenveur Smith, Anthony Michael Hall, and Lil' Bow Wow. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

Category: Action

Features: ccWidescreen version of the film
5.1 Dolby Digital and DTS Surround Sound
Filmmaker commentary with director Kevin Bray and producer Matt Alvarez
Original documentaries: Shot Caller: From Videos to Features, Strictly Business: Making the Benjamins, Miami Nice, All About the Stunts
Gag reel
Deleted scene
Trina music video "Told Y'all"
Theatrical trailers
Theatrical press kit
DVD-ROM content: Script-to-screen, Original website

All About the Benjamins

Format: DVD

Release Date: 08/20/2002

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, DDS Dolby Digital Surround, DTS Digital Theater Systems

Runtime: 98 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Subtitles: English

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Side #1 --
1. "You're Going to Jail!" [3:57]
2. Main Title [1:40]
3. Money to Be Made [3:48]
4. The Preferred Shopper [3:09]
5. Hunting Reggie [2:52]
6. Mr. Barcley's Photo Session [2:56]
7. Twenty Fake Million [4:58]
8. Money for Nothing [2:25]
9. Lucky Numbers [4:25]
10. "Blinded by the Light" [2:22]
11. Bucum's Bounty [2:31]
12. An Unreal Partnership [3:48]
13. Playing Dead [3:38]
14. The Interrogation [3:34]
15. Boat Buyer [3:06]
16. The Wallet or the Diamonds? [4:14]
17. "Okay, We're Partners" [4:05]
18. Barcley's Hidden Treasures [5:58]
19. Fishing for Diamonds [2:27]
20. Getting Back Gina [3:02]
21. The Set-Up [1:09]
22. The Exchange [2:06]
23. Chase First, Talk Later [3:04]
24. Getting Their Cuts [4:15]
25. Girlie Action [4:11]
26. Speedboat Justice [2:21]
27. His Ship Coming In [3:50]
28. End Credits [3:19]

Derek Armstrong

With its engaging central duo caught in an underworld of bounty hunters and diamond thieves, All About the Benjamins at best resembles a good modern blaxploitation flick -- the kind that brings guilty pleasure, not discomfort. At its worst, though, it's a ludicrous, outsized caper story revolving around two different booties of 20-plus million dollars. Forget about Benjamin Franklin, who's on the thousand? Also forget about the Puff Daddy song of the same name, and the fact that the title sounds so 1998; Benjamins looks like a 2002 movie, especially during some crackling action sequences that have the kinetic energy and bouncy camera of Ridley Scott's later work. That's a pretty high compliment to pay video director Kevin Bray, but he only reaches that level in flashes. The rest of the time he's forgetting that it should all make narrative sense, that two thugs can't be tossed off the side of the boat and then disappear from the story, that a guy with a missile launcher can't pop up and vanish without explanation. Still, the inclination is to forgive Benjamins some of these faults, because Ice Cube and Mike Epps deliver the goods more often than not, achieving mindless popcorn entertainment with crossover potential. Cube is a known commodity by this point, but Epps gets his best showcase to prove he can sling high-speed, streetwise bull that's different enough from his contemporaries to be distinctive. Even when the plot points are patently fake, these two manage to keep it real. ~ Derek Armstrong, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Joan Turner  Actor 
Ice Cube  Producer 
Ice Cube  Screenwriter 
John Murphy  Composer (Music Score) 
Claire Rudnick Polstein  Executive Producer 
Mike Epps  Executive Producer 
Matt Alvarez  Producer 
Toby Emmerich  Executive Producer 
Ron Lang  Executive Producer 
Ron Lang  Screenwriter 
Kevin Bray  Director 
Matt Moore  Executive Producer 
Ice Cube  Actor 
Mike Epps  Actor 
Eva Mendes  Actor 
Tommy Flanagan  Actor 
Carmen Chaplin  Actor 
Valarie Rae Miller  Actor 
Roger Guenveur Smith  Actor 
Anthony Michael Hall  Actor 
Lil' Bow Wow  Actor 
Anthony Giaimo  Actor 
Jeff Chase  Actor 
Gino Salvano  Actor 
Evelyn Brooks  Actor 

Country: USA