Hangin' with the Homeboys

Four Bronx buddies spend an evening cruising for girls and getting into trouble as they tool around the South Bronx. But as episodic and aimless as this film seems, it is built around strong performances by its four leads: Mario Joyner, Nestor Serrano, John Leguizamo and Doug E. Doug. But writer-director Joseph Vasquez gives each guy a distinctive personality and uses their various adventures to examine just how dead-end life seems to this quartet of black and Hispanic buddies--and which ones have a chance of breaking out. Leguizamo is particularly intriguing as a sensitive type who is looking for an actual relationship with a woman, rather than hit-and-run sex, while Joyner is solid as the voice of reason in the group. And Doug E. Doug has a jack-in-the-box comic energy that's undeniable. --Marshall Fine