A John Singleton can be a fantastic director. Boyz N the Hood was a monumental film about the struggles of growing up in South Central L.A. Baby Boy is sort of an updated companion piece to that picture. While this movie isn't as effective as that one, it isn't without it's powerful moments. Singleton also shows maturity as a film maker exercising in much more restraint in Baby Boy.

Musician Tyrese Gibson plays Jody, a twenty year old player who has aspirations of being rich. His daily life is turbulent to say the least as he must tend to his girlfriend (Taraji P. Henson), their son, his tough talking gangsta buddy (Omar Gooding),a child by another woman, and his lively mother (A.J. Johnson) who's dating an intimidating construction worker (Ving Rhames). This is no problem for Jody, however, because he is brimming with loads of self confidence. That confidence is put to the test when Henson's ex-boyfriend (played by rapper Snoop Dogg) is released from prison.

As I stated earlier, Baby Boy has many powerful moments. Unfortunately, this is also a picture that can't always find the dramatic depth it's reaching for. In particular, there is a scene in which Jody gets into an argument with his girlfriend. To me, the shouting match was almost laughable when it should have been tragic. Of course most of Baby Boy works, especially the energetic moments between Gibson and Rhames. These two are dynamic especially when on screen together.

The performances are very strong. Johnson is terrific as Gibson's independent mother injecting both sympathy and strength into this character. Rhames is both electrifying and mysterious as the burly boyfriend with a dark past. Snoop only show up briefly and while this isn't a deep performance, fans will have a fun time watching this guy do his thing. The real revelation here is Gibson. It's reported that Singleton wrote the part with 2pac in mind. When the rapper passed away, Singleton chose Gibson for the role. This was a great move. While 2pac was a strong actor, Gibson seemed more appropriate for this. Jody is one complex young man. At one moment you can't stand him and the next moment, you really find yourself feeling for the guy. Gibson deftly displays range and a natural, raw energy that really captures the soul of this character.

Boyz N the Hood was a film about young men desperately trying to stay away from a certain lifestyle. Baby Boy is ultimately a love story. Not just between Jody and his girlfriend but between Jody and his mother as well. Even more importantly, Baby Boy is the story of a boy who becomes a man. While this picture doesn't exactly reach the heights of Singleton's best work, it is far superior to last year's Shaft.