Richard Brody writing in The New Yorker:

‘The transformative, prophetic power of “Da 5 Bloods” is rooted in its overarching sense of a never-ending war—not the Vietnam War, specifically, but the daily war at home that’s waged against black Americans, who are forced to fight for survival, equality, and justice….’

I saw this last night and note the tidal wave of laudatory reviews, typified by the one quoted above. At the risk of political incorrectness (can a white man presume to criticize the likes of Spike Lee, especially at a time like this?) I found it underwhelming, although Delroy Lindo’s performance makes it worth watching. But Lee’s effort to make a capital-S statement about how Black Lives Matter leaves many of the characters with scenes of forced exposition and a plot where incoherent intrusions often mar the narrative flow. Yes, two and a half hours seemed too long, contrary to Brody’s assertions. Spike Lee, in trying to hard to be prophetic, becomes a caricature. And so, to an extent, are his characters.