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Get On Up

Play trailer 2:42 Poster for Get On Up PG-13 Released Aug 1, 2014 2h 18m Biography Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
80% Tomatometer 167 Reviews 68% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
James Brown (Chadwick Boseman) was born in extreme poverty in 1933 South Carolina and survived abandonment, abuse and jail to become one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. He joined a gospel group as a teenager, but the jazz and blues along the "chitlin' circuit" became his springboard to fame. Although his backup musicians came and went, Brown retained the ability to mesmerize audiences with his music, signature moves and sexual energy.
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Get On Up

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Critics Consensus

With an unforgettable Chadwick Boseman in the starring role, Get On Up offers the Godfather of Soul a fittingly dynamic homage.

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Critics Reviews

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Dwight Brown National Newspaper Publishers Association Warts and all, in fits and starts, finally the Hardest Working Man in Show Business gets his story told. Mar 21, 2017 Full Review Tara Brady Irish Times Magically, unexpectedly, most funkily, Get on Up feels fresh and crisp as the Godfather of Soul's keenest moves. Rated: 4/5 Nov 23, 2014 Full Review Mark Kermode Observer (UK) It's stirring scattershot stuff, made with a fine eye for period detail and an evident passion for the music, which remains the driving force throughout. Rated: 4/5 Nov 23, 2014 Full Review Toussaint Egan Polygon Get on Up is a thoroughly entertaining drama with Boseman shining at its center. Oct 22, 2021 Full Review Alex Behan Stuff.co.nz As a biography, it glosses over a lot, but goes to the heart of Brown's charisma, his music and the trauma that drove the iconic performer to such high highs and low lows. Jun 10, 2021 Full Review Richard Crouse Richard Crouse One big chunk of funk with a gold standard performance from Boseman and music that will make you want to... er... get on up. Rated: 4/5 Feb 1, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Bert C This film captures James Brown's boundless energy. What some reviewers call chaotic is the exuberant charisma of its main character. For those of us who lived through the James Brown experience, this movie is remarkable in conveying the man and his music. The man was larger than life, and Chadwick Boseman brilliantly and faithfully makes him live. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/06/24 Full Review Jonathan G "Get On Up" is a thunderous yet conventional biopic. The film would jump randomly through different decades in a certainly off order, the direction wasn't that great, and this falls into the same formulaic pitfalls that biopics usually fall into. Viola Davis was severely underused, but the crown jewel of this film is James Brown himself. Definitively his best performance of all time, Chadwick Boseman brought the icon to life in the most electrifying way possible. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/19/24 Full Review RulerOfAll0 Crazy biopic and will have you scratching your head also tapping your feet, Chadwick has put on an memorable tribute for the legendary James Brown. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/02/23 Full Review Cathy J My husband really enjoyed this movie. The acting was good and I found it kind of interesting but also depressing, so once is good enough for me. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/05/23 Full Review steve d The acting is great, and Chadwick Boseman should have been up for all the awards but nothing else transness normal biopic cliches. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review l o g a Demons! I watched this movie alone in the house at 2:00 AM. and… I danced like 30 times! It's a wonderful movie, not so much because of the story of overcoming James Brown, but because, well, he's fucking James Brown, what can I say?! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

Get On Up

Get on Up: Official Clip - We're Together or We Ain't Get on Up: Official Clip - We're Together or We Ain't 2:40 Get on Up: Official Clip - Soul Power Get on Up: Official Clip - Soul Power 2:22 Get on Up: Official Clip - Papa Don't Take No Mess Get on Up: Official Clip - Papa Don't Take No Mess 2:19 Get on Up: Official Clip - A Brand New Bag Get on Up: Official Clip - A Brand New Bag 2:12 Get on Up: Official Clip - The Night Train Get on Up: Official Clip - The Night Train 2:09 Get on Up: Official Clip - James Brown and His Famous Flames Get on Up: Official Clip - James Brown and His Famous Flames 3:07 Get on Up: Official Clip - The Battle Royale Get on Up: Official Clip - The Battle Royale 2:56 Get on Up: Official Clip - It Don't Move, It Don't Move Nobody Get on Up: Official Clip - It Don't Move, It Don't Move Nobody 3:19 Get on Up: Official Clip - Welcome to America Get on Up: Official Clip - Welcome to America 3:12 Get on Up: Official Clip - Settle Down Captain Get on Up: Official Clip - Settle Down Captain 2:14 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis James Brown (Chadwick Boseman) was born in extreme poverty in 1933 South Carolina and survived abandonment, abuse and jail to become one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. He joined a gospel group as a teenager, but the jazz and blues along the "chitlin' circuit" became his springboard to fame. Although his backup musicians came and went, Brown retained the ability to mesmerize audiences with his music, signature moves and sexual energy.
Director
Tate Taylor
Producer
Brian Grazer, Mick Jagger, Victoria Pearman, Erica Huggins, Tate Taylor
Screenwriter
Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth
Distributor
Universal Pictures
Production Co
Jagged Films, Brian Grazer
Rating
PG-13 (Sexual Content|Drug Use|Some Strong Language|Violent Situations)
Genre
Biography, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 1, 2014, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 9, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$30.5M
Runtime
2h 18m
Sound Mix
Datasat, Dolby Digital
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