Is it worth $10? No

The life of Christopher Wallace is a smart choice for a biopic. In “Notorious” we see Wallace (a.k.a. “The Notorious B.I.G.” and “Biggie Smalls”) as he’s raised in Brooklyn by a straight-shooting mother (Angela Bassett), and then observe his drug-dealing teenage years and prison stint before he becomes a rap superstar. The talent, tough life and obstacles overcome are commonplace in inspirational biographies, and there’s no reason to think this movie could not have been great. But it’s not.

Instead it’s an unfair biopic that does a decent job of showing Biggie’s (newcomer Jamal Woolard) relationship with Sean “Puffy” Combs (Derek Luke), but does little to clear up the controversy surrounding Biggie’s murder in Los Angeles in March 1997. Many suspected the “east coast vs. west coast” rap wars had something to do with the shooting, but the murder remains unsolved. Of course, that doesn’t stop director George Tillman Jr. (“Men of Honor”) from blaming west coast rapper Tupac Shakur (Anthony Mackie) for the tension. (Don’t be surprised if Tupac’s survivors make a movie about him now, and that the movie makes Biggie and Puffy look bad. In an odd way the rap wars would continue, to no one’s benefit.)

If Biggie, Puffy and the rest of their crew come across very well while the depictions Biggie’s ex-girlfriend ‘Lil Kim (Naturi Naughton) and Tupac (Anthony Mackie) are pretty negative, one look at the cast and crew explains why. The film was produced by Biggie’s real-life mom, Voletta Wallace, executive produced by Combs, and Biggie’s real-life son, Christopher Jordan Wallace, plays the hefty star in the childhood sequences. If you were looking for a hard-nosed, realistic biopic, this isn’t it.

Granted, the movie shows Biggie as both a womanizer and a bad baby daddy. But what Biggie fans will want from this movie and not get is some insight regarding the rap wars, and the deaths of Biggie and Tupac. But there’s no closure here, just a “puffed up” version of Biggie’s life that makes Tupac look bad and is likely to offend anyone loyal to the “west coast” side of the argument.

Because of this it’s hard to take anything in the movie seriously. Regardless of what really happened, “Notorious” is too virtuous – and as a consequence, too ridiculous – to be believed, and for a biopic that is a terrible failure.

Woolard is good in the title role, and the film will serve as a fond remembrance of the fallen star for his already-present fans. But if you’ve never heard of him, and/or don’t care for his music, there is no reason to see this movie.

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