though sometimes messy and freewheeling, "Da 5 Bloods" is a fascinating, frequently gripping and powerful interrogation of the connection between American imperialism, anti-Black racism, and the widespread trauma of the country's war-making
Spike Lee follows his Oscar-winning "BlacKkKlansman" with an unfocused and slow-moving mess; Here, a brief scene of horrific gore will grab your attention, but "Da 5 Bloods" will mostly test your patience during its epic-length running time
"Da 5 Bloods" wrestles with the specter of the past through the lens of a very confusing present, and settles into a fascinated jumble as messy and complicated as the world surrounding its release
"Da 5 Bloods" is too emotionally raw and too real for a glib happy ending, but it offers some hope. The film's very existence is bracing. It is a condemnation of the past, a call for change, and a rich work of art worth watching over and over again
"Da 5 Bloods" is one of the best movies of the year; The picture, the script and director Spike Lee all deserve nomination consideration, as does the lush and booming score by Lee's longtime collaborator Terence Blanchard
"Da 5 Bloods" is a paintball gun loaded with real bullets: a blast of satire and emotional agony about race and the American empire, the evergreen wound of Vietnam, African-American sacrifices on the field of battle, and the fact that black deaths matter
"Da 5 Bloods" absolutely a film we need to see now; Structural flaws notwithstanding, this movie is a gift right now, and there's no other director that could have made it
by Barry Hertz [The Globe and Mail ]
by Danny Leigh [Financial Times ]
by Rafer Guzman [Newsday ]
by Richard Roeper [Chicago Sun-Times ]
