History YMMV / MenaceIISociety

** Ilena's cousin crosses it at the end when he [[spoiler: and his gang not only murder Caine in a drive-by shooting but also Sharif, who was completely innocent and had no involvement in the conflict between the two men.]]

* CrossesTheLineTwice: The violence of this film rises to intense levels. This is justified, however, as the film is meant to be a crucial and critical look at the horrors of life in the African-American ghettos.
* DracoInLeatherPants: O-Dog gets this treatment because of his sympathetic backstory and having loved ones. This glosses over the fact that he is a sadist towards others when he murders a Korean store owner and his wife, not to mention that he uses the security footage for his own amusement.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Ronnie is constantly trying to preach to Caine about how being a thug isn't something he should aspire to be and seems to be above the crime lifestyle. While she's completely right about Caine, both of her love interests are thugs that take great pride in the gang life, and she constantly hangs around a bunch of fellow gangsters. This can make Ronnie come across as a {{Hypocrite}} and a HorribleJudgeOfCharacter. While one could argue that [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre she sees the good in both Pernell and Caine that clearly exists]] and [[LoveRedeems is trying to draw it out]], it still feels a bit bothersome that she presents herself as someone disgusted with that lifestyle and yet that's all she invites into her life.

* OneSceneWonder: ''Creator/SamuelLJackson'' plays Caine's dad in a flashback. He's quite a bit more badass here than in ''Franchise/JurassicPark'', which was released the same year.

* {{Anvilicious}}: This film is absolutely '''relentless''' in illustrating to the audience just how mentally and physically damaging it can be for an African American to embrace the life of a gangster in the ghettos of America. The consequences of such decisions are very bluntly exemplified in the final speech of the film delivered by Caine '''as he is dying from being shot in a drive by''':

---> '''Caine''': After stomping Ilena's cousin like that... I knew I was gonna have to deal with that fool someday. Damn. I never thought he'd come back like this. Blasting. Like I said... it was funny like that in the hood sometimes. I mean, you never knew what was gonna happen or when. I had done too much to turn back and I had done too much to go on. I guess in the end it all catches up with you. My grandpa asked me one time if I care whether I live or die. Yeah, I do. And now it's too late.

* WhatAnIdiot:
** The guy who had the nerve to insult and act smug towards Tat Lawson after coming up short on his cash. He gets eight bullets to the chest for his stupidity.
** Harold, for stalling and trying to pull a gun on two thugs, one of whom had a pistol to his head and another who had a ''shotgun''.
** Ilena's cousin pulls up on Caine, without even knowing who he was ("Aye, which one of y'all is Caine?"), and not having a weapon nor backup. Caine promptly beats his sorry ass.
** Downplayed, as he had heroic intent behind it, but Caine running after Anthony to shield him from [[spoiler:the shootout]] put the kid in ''more'' danger as they were clearly aiming at [[spoiler:Caine]] (or just about anybody who wasn’t Anthony as they also killed [[spoiler:Sharif]]). Forcing himself on top of Anthony means that, if the thugs continue shooting, the bullets can pass through Caine and hit Anthony.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: The security tape of O-Dog killing the Korean grocers is clearly meant to invoke the security cam footage of Latasha Harlins, a 15 year old black girl murdered by Korean grocers in a liquor store. Back in 1993, this was a hot topic of discussion and the allusion would definitely be understood by audiences.

** ''"After stomping Ilena's cousin like that... I knew I was gonna have to deal with that fool someday. Damn. I never thought he'd come back like this. Blasting. Like I said... it was funny like that in the hood sometimes. I mean, you never knew what was gonna happen or when. I had done too much to turn back and I had done too much to go on. I guess in the end it all catches up with you. My grandpa asked me one time if I care whether I live or die. Yeah, I do. And now it's too late.''"

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything?: The security tape of O-Dog killing the Korean grocers is clearly meant to invoke the security cam footage of Latasha Harlins, a 15 year old black girl murdered by Korean grocers in a liquor store. Back in 1993, this was a hot topic of discussion and the allusion would definitely be understood by audiences.

* DracoInLeatherPants: O-Dog gets this treatment because of his sympathetic backstory and having loved ones. This glosses over the fact that he is a sadist towards others when he murders a Korean store owner and his wife, not to mention that he uses the security footage for his own amusement.

* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped: '''''Gang life is horrifying'''''.

** Downplayed, as he had heroic intent behind it, but Caine running after Anthony to shield him from [[spoiler:the shootout]] put the kid in ''more'' danger as they were clearly aiming at [[spoiler:Caine]] (or just about anybody who wasn’t Anthony as they also killed [[spoiler:Sharif]]). Forcing himself on top of Anthony means that, if the thugs continue shooting, the bullets can pass through Caine and hit Anthony.

* TooBleakStoppedCaring: Invoked. Unlike ''Film/BoyzNTheHood'', this film has no one to get emotionally attached to and there are no sympathetic characters in the film considering the main characters Caine (who pretty much embraces the crime life) and O-Dog (who murders people in a usually sadistic manner without any motives or justifications) are at war with gangs who they aren't much different from. The whole film is a dark representation of exactly how dangerous the streets of Watts really are.

* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy: Invoked. Unlike ''Film/BoyzNTheHood'', this film has no one to get emotionally attached to and there are no sympathetic characters in the film considering the main characters Caine (who pretty much embraces the crime life) and O-Dog (who murders people in a usually sadistic manner without any motives or justifications) are at war with gangs who they aren't much different from. The whole film is a dark representation of exactly how dangerous the streets of Watts really are.
* DracoInLeatherPants: O-Dog

* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped: The movie makes it very clear that the life of a ghetto gangbanger is not only dangerous but it will kill you regardless even if you were to leave the lifestyle behind.

* NightmareFuel: Several things that O-Dog and other gangsters do can qualify; to some extent they reach a disturbing point.

* CrossesTheLineTwice: The violence of this film rises to intense levels. [[JustifiedTrope This is justified]], however, as the film is meant to be a crucial and critical look at the horrors of life in the African-American ghettos.

* WhatAnIdiot: Downplayed, as he had heroic intent behind it, but Caine running after Anthony to shield him from [[spoiler:the shootout]] put the kid in ''more'' danger as they were clearly aiming at [[spoiler:Caine]] (or just about anybody who wasn’t Anthony as they also killed [[spoiler:Sharif]]). Forcing himself on top of Anthony means that, if the thugs continue shooting, the bullets can pass through Caine and hit Anthony.

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Ronnie is constantly trying to preach to Caine about how being a thug isn't something he should aspire to be and seems to be above the crime lifestyle. While she's completely right about Caine, both of her love interests are thugs that take great pride in the gang life, and she constantly hangs around a bunch of fellow gangsters. This can make Ronnie come across as a {{Hypocrite}} and a HorribleJudgeOfCharacter. While one could argue that [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre she sees the good in both Pernell and Caine that clearly exists]] and [[LoveRedeems is trying to draw it out]], it still feels a bit bothersome that she presents herself as someone disgusted with that lifestyle and yet that's all she invites into her life.

* BlackComedy: Caine runs into another guy's car, gun in hand, to jack him for his rims and his radio..."and I'd like a [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking double burger with cheese!]]"
---> "''What?!''"

* TearJerker: Caine's life and death.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Some people believe that O-Dog has a FreudianExcuse for his misdeeds because frankly he feels compelled to be a criminal by the environment in which he's in. Others see him as a [[TheSociopath callous madman]], a homicidal maniac unimpeachable where his only joy seems to be sadism or killing.

* TearJerker: Caine's life and death.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: The opening flyby (when the timeline shifts to present day) set to an instrumental of Music/IceCube's "Ghetto Bird", and the end credits song "Streiht-Up Menace" by MC Eiht. Hell yeah. The Film contains many great hits of Hip-Hop, Funk and R&B to contribute heavily to the film's atmosphere.

* BlackComedy: Caine runs up to jack a random dude for his rims and his radio..."and I'd like a [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking double burger with cheese!]]"
--> "''What?!''"

* MoralEventHorizon: O-Dog crosses this at the very beginning when he murders the AsianStoreOwner and his wife. Worse, he then uses the security footage as entertainment for he and his friends.

* CrossesTheLineTwice: The violence of this film rises to intense levels. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]], however. As the film is meant to be a crucial & critical look at the horrors of life in The Ghettos of America.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: The opening flyby set to an instrumental of Music/IceCube's "Ghetto Bird", and the end credits song "Streiht-Up Menace" by MC Eiht. Hell yeah. The Film contains many great hits of Hip-Hop, Funk and R&B to contribute heavily to the film's atmosphere.