Biggie & Tupac (2002)
FilmFour

Description

In 1997, rap superstars Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace (aka Biggie Smalls, The Notorious B.I.G.) were gunned down in separate incidents, the apparent victims of hip hop's infamous east-west rivalry. Nick Broomfield's film introduces Russell Poole, an ex-cop with damning evidence that suggests the LAPD deliberately fumbled the case to conceal connections between the police, LA gangs and Death Row Records, the label run by feared rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight.

Tags

Hip hop

Collected reviews and ratings

9.2 Entertainment Weekly | Owen Gleiberman

... Broomfield the clown prince of tabloid obsession can't be dismissed. He uses his showmanship and bluster to disarm his subjects, and in ''Biggie & Tupac'' he uncovers a story powerful enough to leave the screen sizzling with intrigue.
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9.0 Los Angeles Times | Manohla Dargis

A gripping investigation into the murders of rap rivals and former friends Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace, a.k.a. the Notorious B.I.G., Broomfield's feature bristles with the sort of passion and bold purpose so often lacking in contemporary nonfiction filmmaking.
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8.3 digitallyobsessed.com | Joel Cunningham

Biggie & Tupac is an interesting piece of investigative journalism, a step by step investigation presented in film form. I'm not convinced that Nick Broomfield has solved the murders of Biggie and Tupac, but he has made a compelling argument.
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7.0 New York Times | Dave Kehr

Whether or not you buy Mr. Broomfield's findings, the film acquires an undeniable entertainment value as the slight, pale Mr. Broomfield continues to force himself on people and into situations that would make lesser men run for cover.
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7.0 Boxoffice Magazine | Rachel Deahl

Although the film gets off to a rocky start - the early scenes often end awkwardly with the crew getting closed out of appointments or running out of tape at a crucial moment--it quickly picks up speed.
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6.0 filmcritic.com | Athan Bezaitis

In Biggie and Tupac, Broomfield, true to his style, once again makes a poignant statement that is both outrageous and upsetting. He asserts that Death Row Records founder Suge Knight conspired in tandem with LAPD officers on the company payroll to commit both murders.
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6.0 BBC | Matt Arnoldi

A worthwhile documentary, whether you're into rap or not, even if it may still leave you wanting more answers as the credits roll.
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5.0 Variety | Dennis Harvey

As in "Kurt and Courtney," this docu glimpses incriminating skeletons in celebrity closets, exerting a certain viewer fascination even if the evidence is sketchy.
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5.0 Salon.com | Eric Boehlert

The problem, though, is that Broomfield's not a journalist, meaning he does not know how to conduct coherent on-screen interviews. It's no exaggeration to say that roughly half of the interviews in "Biggie and Tupac" are worthless, offering no new information or insights about the rappers or their deaths.
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5.0 TV Guide | Maitland McDonagh

Overall, the film is occasionally interesting but essentially unpersuasive, a footnote to a still evolving story.
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5.0 DVD Talk | Ron J. Epstein

If you're a fan of conspiracy theories, than this documentary might be right up your alley. If you've enjoyed Broomfield's past documentaries ("Kurt & Courtney" and "Heidi Fleiss Hollywood Madam"), then you may want to check this one out.
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4.0 Amazon user reviews

This documentary is a major disappointment. That is mainly due to the terrible director/narrator. It's pretty obvious that this guy did little to no research on the topic and had little emotion towards the subject.
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