Movie:
Thug Angel is the newest documentary about the life of Tupac Shakur, following closely on the recently released Before I Wake and the 1998 documentary, Thug Immortal. The documentary is directed by Peter Spirer, and features both early and previously unseen interviews with Tupac, as well as newer interviews with Dr. Mutulu Shakur, Mopreme Shakur, Quincy Jones, Shock G, Treach, Big Syke, and Mac Mall.

Beginning with Tupac's early life, the documentary explains how growing up poor in New York and being introduced to the Black Panther movement at an early age influenced his beliefs and values. When the Black Panthers were disbanded, his mother found herself without a job, and the Shakurs moved to Baltimore in 1986. Tupac soon enrolled in the Baltimore School for Performing Arts, and it was here that he wrote his first raps and started several activist movements. In 1988, the Shakurs moved to Marin City, California, and two years later, Tupac joined Digital Underground as a dancer/rapper/roadie. Soon thereafter, Tupac released his solo-debut album, 2Pacalypse Now and had his silver-screen debut in Juice. However, Tupac increasingly felt that he needed to live the life he rapped about, a choice that involved him in several shootings, including the one that took his life in 1996, at 25.

Being a white person of middle class background, it wasn't until I worked in a retail music chain that I "discovered" Tupac. More than any other rapper, Tupac had the ability, through music, to convey life on the streets as how it really was and managed to get across the pain and suffering he felt when he saw things that bothered him about that life, such as teenage pregnancy and gang violence. I have no doubt that Tupac was and continues to be one of the most potent and relevant rappers ever, and somewhat surprisingly, he did a lot of good through his many charitable acts. These were given relatively little press, in relation to the controversy that surrounded his music and run-ins with the law. The documentary portrays Tupac primarily as a man deeply conflicted and at war with himself and does an admirable job giving different viewpoints. However, the documentary makes some arguments that weren't supported and portrays Tupac as somewhat racist, though I believe this wasn't the case.

Picture:
Thug Angel is presented in 1.33:1 full frame. As a combination of newer interview footage, older interview footage, and stock footage, the transfer is a bit of a mixed bag. The newer footage is quite good, while the older footage shows some wear, as well as some grain. Stock footage, as expected, contains a fair amount of grain, marks, and lines.

Sound:
Thug Angel is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1. The documentary is mostly dialogue, though music from Tupac and other performers is used for background. The fronts handle much of the material, leaving the rears almost entirely silent for the duration. Dialogue is crisp and clean throughout all the new footage, though can be slightly distorted in some of the older footage. No optional subtitles are included.

Extras:
Most, if not all, of the interviews used for the documentary are included in their entirety in the extras section. These thirteen interviews include never before seen footage, like an interview with Tupac at seventeen and much later in his life, an interview at a gun range. There is also a telephone interview with Tupac by Rashida Jones, a text list of Tupac's library, a biography, a discography, and a scrolling photo gallery of newspaper headlines, raps, and pictures. Also included with the case is an informative booklet & timeline, as well as comments from the producers/director.

Summary:
Thug Angel will certainly appeal to fans of Tupac Shakur and is one of the better documentaries about him, though it isn't without some minor flaws. The extras, especially the interviews, are a nice touch, and the MSRP is quite reasonable. Recommended.