The humor in the film is a bit stiff. The script often sounds like a first draft and many of the scenes comes across as if they were done in a single take. The film is not so much raw (which would be good) but feels undernourished and at times amateurish. This could be because the director's intention but since he puts in serious undertones it ends up working to the detriment of the film.

Hangin' with the Homeboys was a minor hit when it came out in 1991 mainly because it presented a world we rarely saw in movies: Especially Hollywood movies where the black and Puerto Rican characters were either bad guys or placed in the background as secondary characters. That fact alone made the film worth seeing back in 1991 but today - after we have seen a good number of fine films outside of the Hollywood white character dominated paradigm - the film feels less like a breath of fresh air and more like a good formulaic TV movie.

At times the film has the feel of American Graffiti by way of Spike Lee; notably when there are political overtones and street wise dialogue – but it isn't as sharp as Lucas's film not as taut or funny as Lee and therefore not as provocative.

Video:
The DVD is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and looks good. Much of the film is shot at night and in indoor locales so many scenes are dark. The look of the film is closer to grainy than it is too slick; the colors come across fairly well although they don't pop.

Audio:
The audio is in Dolby Digital 2.0. There is a decent soundtrack and a whole bunch of dialogue.

Extras:
The only extra is a trailer.

Final Thoughts:
Hangin' with the Homeboys is a by-the-numbers independent film about four buddies in the South Bronx who go out on the town and discover themselves. Overall, it is a modest comedy with bigger aspirations. Each of the actors – who have has gone on to do many more films – are pretty good with what material they have and at 90 minutes the film moves along quickly. Unfortunately, there are no extras, which could have helped give the viewer a little perspective on the making of the film and a little background on the director who - according to the final credits - indicates that the film was inspired by the friends he grew up with in New York.