Sadly Over-hyped

How sad is this?

Good movie but grossly overrated

Excellent but underrated film

The fact that this movie is so highly rated on IMDB is a reflection more on a general public ignorance of gang activities and of prison life. The fact that it provides a weak protagonist who could not successfully become a trusted and strong prison gang member should be obvious, but more important is the rather stupid stereotyping of not only prison life, but of the complexity of prison gang affiliations. Of course the movie goes stereotypically even further in demonizing prison officials, as either unnecessarily mean or corrupt (or both). Too much Hollywood and ridiculous drivel in terms of "real life" as to warrant a high rating -- in fact some of the scenes are so obviously contrived and stupidly staged as to relegate this movie to the lower echelons of modern crime and gang-themed films.

My top five movies of all time are: Scarface, The Usual Suspects, Blood In Blood Out, The Shawshank Redemption, and Cutters. Just to give you some perspective on my taste. Anyway, that being said this movie is an all-time great. It has so many layers to it that most people wouldn't expect going in. It's way more than just a gangster movie. It has that raw, violent aspect, but also goes deep into each character's personal life and really connects you to the whole story. It's got everything you could want in a movie, drama, action, violence, deep characters and subplots, and it's so real. It would be believable if it was based on a true story. A classic for all ages. One of the best movies ever made that has never received the praise and acclaim it deserves.

Or at least that's the same as "brother." I'm not stupid. I know very well the message that is implied in this movie. "Carnal" means "brother." I'm not dumb enough to not say this. No one in Mexico or that is Mexican that I've known says those words. This is another movie that tries to push that nonsense and annoy the viewers with the nonsense and ram it down our throats. No, "bro" is not black or white slang. It has never been. Please if you wanna realistic piece about Hispanics watch "Carlito's Way" or "Scarface" -- none of that "brother" is the same as "bro" in either of those movies. This movie is pure nonsense altogether. I'm Hispanic and I find it annoying. Very annoying. Please, smart people, skip this one.

Best movie ever. I think this movie is the one movie out of all that has the most epic quotes. There are even web pages devoted to quotes from blood in blood out. I am aware the actors are not up there with De Niro, Pacino and company but fact remains they helped create some of the most memorable characters in movie history. Who can forget characters like Popeye, Spider, Big Al or the troubled artist Cruzito! Also I think this movie appeals to something else than the wannabe gangster within us. It speaks of the sphere between cultures, the "in betweeners". Main character Milko is, as Montana tells him, "stuck in the middle." He struggles with being both "white" and Chicano. This movie really was a favorite back when I was a kid and to this day I still watch it from time to time and let it bring me back to East Los Angeles in the seventies. And did I mention the never ending source of quotes? "Hey Cinderella, go find yourself a fella", "I don't want his pork-chop, I want his life", "cuidado con el Chorizo we might need it for later" just to name a few of very legendary quotes this movie has left the world with.