Marketic It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Nicole I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Geraldine The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Steve Pulaski Spike Lee's Get on the Bus is a brash, powerful movie, with an attitude and a creatively charming enigma, due to its vivid characters and wonderfully entertaining dialog. But the dialog isn't just "wonderfully entertaining" as much as it is very prophetic and offers a distinct, surly commentary on race in America. It's easily one of the biggest personal growths Lee has produced on film.The story chronicles a large group of about fifteen black men who board a coach bus to the Million Man March in Washington D.C. in October 1995. Among the men are those from different generations, different upbringings, different philosophies, but most importantly, different approaches to walks of life not their own and dissenting opinions. The bus driver is George, played by Charles S. Dutton, a fun-loving character, with a distinct jolliness to his presence. The black history expert Jeremiah (nicknamed "Pop" and played by Ossie Davis) offers a powerful, wholesome amount of wisdom many young bloods find difficult to grasp. An openly gay man (Harry J. Lennix) who boards with his gay Republican lover (Isaiah Washington), as they are within arms reach of breaking up with each other. Gary (Roger Guenveur Smith), a biracial police officer who is victim to abuse from a narcissistic, misogynist actor named Flip (Andre Braugher), along with a conspiracy theorist (Steve White) and a gangbanger turned Muslim (Gabriel Casseus).At first, the gang is giddy to be a part of history as they eagerly partake in the six day bus ride from Los Angeles to D.C. But as the sun beats down, the miles rack up, and the talks become serious, we see disdain building and we see people's true sides come out. Writer Reggie Rock Bythewood concocts this film not as a potboiler, but more like a drama set on the stove above a low boil with the faint mindset of having things erupt.The beautifully melodic feature that is here in Lee's film and present in Bythewood's writing is that there doesn't seem to be any idea or any element of good vs. bad or heroes and villains. The same element existed in Do the Right Thing, where characters were painted in an unbiased light, so those regardless of skin color or prejudices could look and appreciate them as smart human beings. There are no dumb characters in this film; all of them have their reasons, regardless whether or not I agree with them, and all of them have their own way or reacting under stress and opposition. Like us all.NOTE: I purposely chose to write a concise review of Get on the Bus, fore I feel too much examination, especially with this film, may offer an opinion dictatorship. In other words, you won't be able to let your own view come forth because of all that I have said. The film is terrific entertainment, but also smart entertainment, that isn't something I could label frothy, whimsical, or trite.Starring: Charles S. Dutton, Ossie Davis, Richard Belzer, De'aundre Bonds, Andre Braugher, Thomas Jefferson Byrd, Gabriel Casseus, Albert Hall, Hill Harper, Harry J. Lennix, Bernie Mac, Wendell Pierce, Roger Guenveur Smith, Isaiah Washington, and Steve White. Directed by: Spike Lee.

MisterWhiplash Get on the Bus is one of those rare cases for Spike Lee where the screenplay for the film, and most of the performances, supersedes the vision leading it. Lee shot the film quickly, on a combination of 16mm (the kind that makes it look kinda HBO series of the period, not a bad thing) and camcorder video, and he works through what is kind of like a play on a bus: small space, not much room to go like the usual flamboyant touches of style Lee is great at. Instead it's some grainy yellow-brown tinting- the kind that was also done in the likes of Tony Scott's Domino- and an opening sequence meant to emphasize the chains of the teen 'Smooth' put to a less than agreeable Michael Jackson song. For the most part, his function here is to get the cast together and only get so much in the way as to not have them stumble.So it's sad to say that despite Spike Lee, despite his flawed choices in style (or, at best, a relatively typical low-budget hand-held feel in the bus), despite the mostly wretched R&B songs used that don't fit in with scenes and play over moments that are without reason, Get on the Bus is a good movie. Again, this is a credit to the screenwriter, Blythewood, who takes a big event in modern African-American history and uses it to make a portrait of several types (i.e. a cop, actor, thug-turned-Muslim, old man, gay couple, torn father and son Smooth, among a couple others). What's most commendable is how the material goes past the possible pitfalls of didacticism and heavy-handedness, with the exception possibly of the final couple of speeches. The dialog is honest and tough and even very funny; a scene where they pick up a black republican is as good as anything in a classic Lee film.And, as well, the actors are a big help. Which may be to say that Lee did do a good job on that front, one that is crucial for a screenplay so dependent on it being so tight knit and, dare I say it, intimate. Charles S. Dutton, Ossie Davis, Andre Braugher, Isaiah Washington, Hill Harper, Richard Belzer in a bit part, they're all spot-on choices, and they help elevate material that needs some 'umph' here and there, something to help out through one or two scenes that feel slightly stuck in the 90s (the kid doing the documentary-for-his-class thing wears off its welcome quick, and this was one of the only visual gimmicks that wasn't too bad). It's a very interesting movie hampered only by a director with nowhere to take the material past where it simply is, and its at its best when we get sucked into a conversation, or a moment, that is either riveting as theater or strikes a chord at the black experience.

psp777 NO SPOILERS A real stunner from Spike Lee using his characteristic mental conundrums to mix a wide spectrum of all black male "individual" characters on the way to a march/event in Washington; a Gay couple, a truculent/homophobic guy/LAPD Cop/an Elder/a young Gang Member chained to his Father on a Judge's release understanding and many other interesting guys you would pass on the street - maybe without a second glance - until you see this film.For me, a single white guy, I felt the film successfully served to strip away more than the fair share of stereotypical notions maintained in the collective consciousness of both black and white - "GET ON THE BUS" hits the spot over and over, and held my attention from start to finish.The 'journey' travels along with the interaction of the characters, split into scenes by a great and meaningful soundtrack - the road is but a short journey but a longer way through the soul to give understanding.Whilst the conclusion/end of the film was probably one of the most powerful messages, I did feel a little disappointment - but as I write, instead of me whining for a better ending, my mind has traversed across millions of attitudes and set free many images that had been lodged in my simple mind.This may not sound like a riveting review - but you'll need to watch it - you'll be nourished.

wellesly01 This movie is a modest effort by Spike Lee. He is capable of much more than this movie.Get on the Bus while apparenly anti racist, does nothing but berate whites and degrade the black status quo. The plot of this movie is about a group of black men who travel on a bus to Louis Farrakhan's million man march. The bus has every type of person you could imagine:gay, Muslim, gangbanger and the Uncle Tom(He is thrown off the bus though). There was one only white person on the bus. He was accused of being a racist the minute he got on the bus to drive. Despite him being a jew and the fact that he explained is situation he ended up being a racist and leaving the bus.I hate to say it but films like this need to realize their own hipocracy and rienforcation of steryotypes. This should not be seen as a triumph but a sad disappointment. You may think I am a racist for writing this but I mean well. Better luck next time Spike.