I really, really hate this movie. I bought it based on my love for John Singleton's past films like Boyz N The Hood, Rosewood and Higher Learning. These were great films that I felt had thought put into them plus had a social commentary that was valid at the time of these films releases. Baby Boy not only lacks a conscious, it also lacks the realism that John Singleton's earlier movies had. I could say that I don't know why John Singleton made this film but I understand all too well. When John Singleton made Higher Learning,it received vitriolic reviews from pseudo-intellectual charlatans that label every film that dealt with issues race as propaganda. The rest of the masses just slept-on it or allowed clownish so-called hip hop ragazines like Jive...oops I meant Vibe magazine to persuade their opinions. So I understand why he would make brainless MTV-style fodder like 2 Fast 2 Furious, Illegal Tender and Baby Boy. I believe he would have still made movies of substance like Higher Learning if Higher Learning was universally accepted(with all its flaws) and not universally panned.<br /><br />The whole story of the film revolves around Jody(Tyrese Gibson) and his problems in his life revolving his mother's new boyfriend Melvin(Ving Rhames), His baby mother Yvette(Taraji P. Henson) and his day to day struggle around making ends meet with his partner Sweetpea(Omar Gooding). Tyrese does a decent job as Jody but the character is flat out despicable. Now lets look at the characters of the main people in this film.<br /><br />Tyrese as Jody: Irresponsible idiot that cheats on his woman and has another baby mother by the name of Peanut(Tamara Leseon Bass). He still lives with his mother and seems to think that is cool for a man his age to do that. He cheats on his woman and treats her like dirt. He is basically the sick caricature that Follywood promotes as the true definition of black manhood.<br /><br />A.J. Johnson as Juanita: A mother that dresses like a Malibu hooker and tries to look cool at her age. She never pushes Jody to do anything with his life and gets into a relationship with a convict that grows weed in her garden and has no job.<br /><br />Taraji P Henson as Yvette: a very naive young woman that sense that Jody is cheating on her and still sticks with him. She is given to fits of rage for the most simplest things and never talks to Jody with respect period.<br /><br />Ving Rhames as Melvin: Stupid and psychotic former criminal that brags about his past misdeeds as if that was cool. He grows weed in his girlfriend's backyard and allows Jody to take the blame. He mumbles nonsense about bread and butter and has the nerve to wonder why Jody doesn't like him to date his mother. Hell, I would have let Hannibal Lecter date my mother over this fool any day! <br /><br />Omar Gooding as Sweatpea: A numbskull that curses out the same girlfriend and her mother that allowed his stupid a** to stay with them when he had no place to go. He has no conscious and seems to do things out of impulse not logic.<br /><br />Now tell me, are these the people you want to spend two hours of your life with? Tyrese and Snoop Dogg were the most convincing of characters in this movie. and to say that Cuba Gooding Jr's cousin cant act is the least of his problems. Its not like Ving Rhames, A.J. Johnson, Taraji P Henson cant act but their characters are underdeveloped and poorly written Shouting and arguments turn into sexual situations and the most asinine scene in the movie has to be when Jody backhands Yvette after she punched him. He takes her to the room and proceeds to give her funnylinguis. WTF? That scene is still a head-scratcher till this day. I'll admit that I laughed at the scene where Jody and Sweetpea beat the hell out of a bunch of teenage punks that jumped Jody earlier but the laughter turned to disgust as soon as Sweetpea pulls out his belt and starts whipping the final victim for showing no fear.<br /><br />Closing comments: Baby Boy is a mess and will set black cinema back a couple of years. Nobody with a conscious exist in Baby Boy. Nobody of sound Mind exists in Baby Boy. Boyz N The hood has Furious(Laurence Fisburne) to add insight to that film. Where is his equivalent in Baby Boy? Nowhere to be found. No insight went into this film. Nobody with a conscious exists in Baby Boy. Just a bunch of despicable and ignorant caricatures . If you want see better movies from John Singleton see his earlier works like the movies I mentioned earlier in this review and forget that this overtly preachy joke exists if you can.