The film scored an 83% 'fresh' rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 35 reviews. Menace II Society received generally positive reviews from critics. Six months after the firing, Shakur assaulted the director, resulting in Shakur being found guilty of assault and battery. Hedid not want to play the role of Sharif, as he did not agree (in regards to the authenticity of such a role) that a Muslim could also be a gangbanger. Shakur was angry for not being told why Sharif would turn Muslim. Rappers Spice 1 and Tupac Shakur were originally set to play set to play Caine and Sharif respectively, but they were later fired with director Allen Hughes stating that Shakur was causing trouble on the set. Originally, MC Ren was originally set to play A-Wax, but later turned down the role when he joined the Nation of Islam in late 1992. Glenn Plummer – James "Pernell" Richards.As Caine slowly dies in Stacy's arms, he sees flashbacks of the events that led to this final moment, and recalls his grandfather asking him if he cares whether he lives or dies. Ilena's cousin gathers his friends to get revenge on Caine.Īs Caine and Ronnie are preparing to leave for Atlanta, Ilena's cousin and his friends drive by the house, guns blazing, and kill Sharif and Caine. Caine's grandfather comes outside to stop Caine, and kicks him out shortly after. Meanwhile, Caine beats Ilena's cousin when he confronts him outside Caine's grandparents' house about the pregnancy.
Chauncey retaliates for Caine's assault by sending a copy of the surveillance tape to the police. Ilena calls to inform Caine that she is pregnant, but he refuses to believe that the child is his and drops her. Caine comes to her rescue and starts pistol-whipping Chauncey, causing Stacy and Sharif to restrain him. While Caine is hospitalized, his friend Ronnie tells him that she has found a job in Atlanta and invites him to come with her.Īt a party, Chauncey, a confederate of Caine in an insurance scam, drunkenly makes sexual moves towards Ronnie. The two are dumped in a Hispanic neighborhood, but Hispanic gang members take them to a hospital instead of killing them as the cops anticipated. While driving one night, Caine and Sharif are pulled over and beaten by cops. He also meets a local girl named Ilena and eventually has sex with her. His friends Stacy and Sharif try to convince him to leave with them to Kansas, but Caine ignores all advice.Īfter buying a new car from a chop shop, Caine carjacks another young man for his gold wire wheels and his jewelry, then purchases a large quantity of cocaine that he plans to sell as crack. Butler, warn Caine that he'll either end up dead or in prison if he doesn't change his ways. Caine and O-Dog are arrested for car theft, but the former is soon released. O-Dog kills Junior, the first carjacker, and Caine shoots the second carjacker then A-Wax, who was look-out, finishes off the surviving carjacker. Caine, O-Dog and A-Wax avenge Harold's murder by tracking down and killing the carjackers. Later, while Caine and his cousin Harold have left a party to go to a fast food restaurant, Harold is killed, Caine gets wounded, and their car is stolen in a carjacking. Caine, disgusted at O-Dog's carelessness, tells him to stop showing off the incriminating tape, fearing they will get caught. O-Dog proudly shows off the surveillance tape to his admiring friends.
In a flashback, it is revealed that Caine's father was a drug dealer who was killed when Caine was 10, and that his mother was a heroin addict who died of a drug overdose, which led to Caine being raised by his grandparents in the Jordan Downs housing projects. Offended, O-Dog briefly argues with the cashier, then kills him and his wife, takes the surveillance tape, robs the clerk's wallet and the cash register, and flees the store with Caine. After their purchase, the cashier insults O-Dog by saying he feels sorry for O-Dog's mother. Caine Lawson and his best friend Kevin "O-Dog" Odum enter a local store to buy malt liquor, where the Korean cashier and his wife rush them to buy their beer and leave.