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Dead Presidents

Play trailer Poster for Dead Presidents R 1995 1h 59m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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47% Tomatometer 34 Reviews 78% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Soldier Anthony Curtis (Larenz Tate) returns to his Bronx home after a nightmarish tour of duty in Vietnam. But the nightmare continues for Anthony and his friends as they suffer the indignities of trying to find steady work and provide for their families in a flagging economy. As desperation takes hold, Anthony teams up with Skip (Chris Tucker), a drug addict, and Kirby (Keith David), a small-time crook, to pull off a bank heist that will give them all a chance for a better life.
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Dead Presidents

Critics Reviews

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Todd McCarthy Variety Dead Presidents may eventually box itself into a narrative dead end, but its muscular engagement of weighty themes and explosive situations makes it a powerful drama. Mar 26, 2009 Full Review Time Out There are intriguing aspects to this yarn, and the brothers can choreograph a scene, but you get the impression that they learned all they know from other movies, the blood and guts is gratuitous... Jan 26, 2006 Full Review Caryn James New York Times Like those overreaching sophomore term papers we can all laugh at now, this disappointing film may free the Hughes brothers to move on to fresher, more inspired work. Rated: 2/4 May 20, 2003 Full Review Sheila Reid Women in the Life Graphic, nostalgic and at times very funny. May 13, 2022 Full Review Alistair Lawrence Common Sense Media Like the iconic black and white face paint of its bank robbers, this movie endures, as flawed and multi-faceted as the period it tries to reflect. Rated: 3/5 Dec 17, 2021 Full Review Don Shanahan 25YL (25 Years Later) There is a ballsy honesty in presenting such an inevitable fall from grace with splattered style. Rated: 4/5 Nov 6, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Claudio C Dead Presidents (1995) Life After the War (12,035 – 03 Nov 2025 – by Claudio Carvalho) In 1968, Anthony “Tony Youngblood” Curtis (Larenz Tate) lives with his family in Bronx. When he concludes high school, he does not want to go to college and prefers to join the Marine Corps to fight in Vietnam. In 1969, he leaves his pregnant girlfriend Juanita Benson (Rose Jackson), his family and his boss Kirby (Keith David) and is sent to Vietnam. In 1973, he returns to the Bronx as a decorated sergeant and meets Juanita and his daughter Sarah. and without qualification, works in a local butcher shop. When he loses his job, he plots a heist of an armored truck with his friends, but things go awry. “Dead Presidents” (1995) is a gripping and riveting action movie by Albert and Allen Hughes. The plot is based on the story of a loser, who does not want to go to the college and prefers to join the Marine Corps to fight in the Vietnam War. When he returns to his country, he does not find a job and ambitious, plots a heist. The conclusion is expected and easy to foresee. The acting is top-boych, with great black actors as protagonists. My vote is seven. Title (Brazil): “Ambição em Alta Voltagem” (“Ambition in High Voltage”) My Blog: https://maniacosporfilme.wordpress.com/ Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/03/25 Full Review D P I remember when people were hyping this film. The only thing I could remember was Chris Tucker's eyes glazed over. And that's it. So, I gave it a try recently, and I had to watch it twice in order to give it a fair assessment. I know what the film wanted to say, but it just didn't touch me in that way. I just became annoyed that the film wasn't executed better. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 09/13/25 Full Review Jelisije J I believe the late great Roger Ebert said it best this movie starts off great ,but somehow manages to get lost along the way and it feels like an incomplete film that had another 30 minutes left to go........Wasted Potential is the best way to describe this film. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 08/25/25 Full Review thiago s Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 08/02/25 Full Review Pedro P So badly acted.. not one good credit.. sorry... watched for a second time... made ma laugh more.. so much overacting.. just crap! Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 08/01/25 Full Review Stephen C Success in 1 hour and 59 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $24,100,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/02/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Dead Presidents

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Movie Info

Synopsis Soldier Anthony Curtis (Larenz Tate) returns to his Bronx home after a nightmarish tour of duty in Vietnam. But the nightmare continues for Anthony and his friends as they suffer the indignities of trying to find steady work and provide for their families in a flagging economy. As desperation takes hold, Anthony teams up with Skip (Chris Tucker), a drug addict, and Kirby (Keith David), a small-time crook, to pull off a bank heist that will give them all a chance for a better life.
Director
Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes
Producer
Allen Hughes, Albert Hughes, The Hughes Brothers
Screenwriter
Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes, Michael Henry Brown
Distributor
Hollywood Pictures Home Video, Criterion Collection, Buena Vista Pictures, Touchstone Pictures
Production Co
Hollywood Pictures, Underworld Entertainment
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 4, 1995, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$24.1M
Runtime
1h 59m
Sound Mix
Surround
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