Higher Learning

Much more effective than you would think

John Singleton continued his Generation X coming-of-age stories with one in the style of ensemble pictures like Grand Canyon. For a 90's work it isn't dated as the insights on racism, rape, homophobia, and White supremacy still hold up. Some parts can be too forced--like the sheltered White girl who goes from clutching a purse in an elevator to befriending a Black classmate. And it ambitiously aims to start discussions, but maybe should've been a tv pilot instead of a movie. Still, recommended.

I liked this movie and Cube and everyone did a great job.

I'd like to call this a poor man's American History X, but I fear that might somehow be racist...

An amazing compilation of 90's actors, but the acting is mostly sub-par. The plot is amazingly contrived, and unrealistically polarizing for the characters, it's almost comically so. A couple cheesy moments here and there, and a couple of nuggets of good stuff too.

after seeing Boyz and the hood (which I loved at the time) I was really looking forward to what turned into a VERY preachy piece of pap. Not QUITE in the same league as CRASH for preachiness, but close

The look on the rapist's face when Ice and his boys come into the house is probably worth the price of admission.

Not bad.

worth a watch

Welcome to Stereotype University, we've got you covered. Pretty melodramatic, cheeseball approach towards some serious subjects, but most of the cast is likable enough that it remains watchable.

A bit overly dramatic at the end but a good movie.

Its a disgusting film, but I guess the whole idea is to wake us up about conflicts between different races. I just think they took it to the extreme. The one positive is that the soundtrack holds my favorite Outkast song of all time (Phobia).

This film tries to be socially and politically deep but ends up as shallow as a mall pond. The problem is the writing of the characters and the rather predictable acting. We get the impression the actors are going through the motions but nobody is really feeling the script. The morals are also paper thin without addressing a lot of the root causes of the problems these college students are facing.

John Singleton stumbles badly with a terribly awkward but well-intentioned drama about political correctness and race at a contemporary university.

56.250

6- pretty good, decent

Pretty cheesy but decent.

This film has its heart in the right place, but its characters are broad archetypes and consequently the storyline feels forced and more like an afterschool special than a compelling feature film (it doesn't help that the soundtrack cues are laughably blunt). There's a good film to be made about self-segregation in colleges and modern racism, but this just isn't it.

Honestly thought this was going to be a stoner movie. Just the usual bang you over the head effort from Singleton. Parts of it weirdly hit home, though all this stuff happening in one semester, let alone a lifetime is insane. It's hard to get too mad at this. Once again, should have had more Ice Cube. Laurence Fishburne is basically doing some silly Paper Chase thing.