Along with humor into the mix among it's subject matter that never feel out of place. From subtle foreshadowing how caring about one's life to conversations about leaving your lifestyle. Providing many powerful and memorable lines that will strike a chord with an audience. With conversations tackling more than just violence with pregnancy and realization of mistakes to name a few. The dialogue while not exactly requiring much brains to understand is pure realism. They are given enough depth be more than just cookie cutter characters to have an impact to events. You have the nut, the religious fanatic, the hustler, the insane drug dealer, the strong concerned single parent, and so forth. The gangsters and characters that make up the story while filled with stereotypes is never problematic. Never glorifying the criminal lifestyle nor undermine those involve in such activity.

It's this balance in portraying his struggle that makes what the film has to say never become preachy. Seeing him more as a person than film character as he is never presented as the hero or the victim. We are able sympathize for his cause, but never get behind his action. Caine is one of best written character I've seen in a long time. The presentation of issues it tackles come in the form of protagonist Caine. Showing the protagonist being introduced to the criminal lifestyle at a young age, learning the benefits looking to reap them for himself, the gangsters coming off as loose individuals despite their activities, and the consequences of the long term of effect in this lifestyle. The plot of the film takes inspiration from 'Goodfellas'. Menace 2 Society is about a young street hustler attempts to escape the rigors and temptations of the ghetto in a quest for a better life. Whereas 'Boyz N The Hood' is an inspirational story about overcoming the harsh living violent environment with family 'Menace 2 Society' tackle the darker side of that criminal world. Both tackle the same thematic issues of crime among the youth in their harsh living environment, but in different ways. 'Menace 2 Society' is such a film that is a companion piece to 'Boyz N The Hood'. For every classic there is a companion piece that while lesser known is equal in terms of quality.

Menace to society imdb