Reviews

Feel the Noise

Introducing reggaetón

By BROOKE HOLGERSON | October 10, 2007

1.5 Stars

VIDEO: Watch the trailer for Feel the Noise.

Making his English-language debut, Argentine director Alejandro Chomski wastes little time setting up this generic exercise about a New York City rapper whose illegal extracurricular activities force his mother to send him to Puerto Rico to visit his father (Giancarlo Esposito). As played by the likable actor/singer Omarion Grandberry, this kid isn’t much of a troublemaker, more of a soulful striver. Once in Puerto Rico, Rob and his stepbrother (Victor Rasuk), also a would-be musician, start playing together. Throw in a beautiful girl (Zulay Henao) who wants to be a dancer (of course) and the thing practically writes itself. There’s a shady producer, a record deal with the requisite temptation to sell out and compromise their music, and the last-minute redemption of, well, everyone. The only newish idea is the music itself — a blend of hip-hop, reggae, and Latin music called reggaetón. It’s not revolutionary, but it saves this movie from total noise.

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Topics: Reviews , Entertainment , Hip-Hop and Rap , Music , More

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