While motorcycle clubs may be readily associated with macho leather-clad bikers such as Hell’s Angels, the makers of “Biker Boyz” (produced by UCLA alumnus Gina Prince-Bythewood) hope that their new film will do more than just change the misinformed stereotypes about those who ride.
In an effort to adjust the image that most may have about motorcyclists, “Biker Boyz” attempts to add color to a subculture that is all too often associated with only one skin tone. Despite what its advertising may suggest, the movie includes more than just flashy bikes and overly-hyped racing sequences, tackling issues such as racial harmony and family struggles.
Set in Los Angeles, the film focuses on Kid (Derek Luke) and his relationship with friends and family as he tries to find his niche in the underground racing circuit. He decides to continue his late father’s bike racing legacy and eventually challenges Smoke (Laurence Fishburne), king and champion of the California motorcycle clubs, for his title.
However, in a movie that includes many of the same cookie-cutter rudiments that have turned many other good racing films into bland disasters, it’s easy to see how some may have already passed off “Biker Boyz” as another “Fast and the Furious” copycat riding on two wheels too late.
When revving up for production, technical consultants were hired to ensure authenticity in the portrayal of the motorcycle clubs to amazing detail. One of the consultants, “Pokey” Galloway, was in fact the real-life counterpart that Fishburne’s character was loosely based on, a real life “King of Cali.”
According to the film’s director Reggie Rock Bythewood, from the way the characters were dressed to the style in which they leaned on their bikes, nearly every part of the film was influenced by the consultants’ advice in how to better portray the bikers in a realistic manner.
According to Fishburne, a motorcycle enthusiast for more than seven years, the unique aspect and purpose of the film was one of the several reasons why he signed on to do the project.
“The idea that we’re shining a light on this subculture that has existed for a very long time and that not a whole lot of people know about appealed to me the most,” Fishburne said.
While this idea of shining the light proved popular with the filmmakers and the actors, the original studio that was signed on to fund the film did not feel the same way.
According to Bythewood, the movie came close to shutting down on several occasions, due to a lack of support from their original backers. Had it not been for Dreamworks saving the project, “Biker Boyz” might have had to put their race to an early end. With their assistance, the movie was able to be completed and distributed widely.
“They really helped us out, and understood our vision,” Bythewood said.