The movie also has brief moments that recall the visual wonder of City of God. In one particularly stunning shot, the two boys hug in long shot below the city’s skyline littered by sparkling gunfire. Afterwards, one boy exits frame left and the other leaves frame right. The shot perfectly captures the context of the film’s story and functions as a nice metaphor foreshadowing the separation between the boys later in the film. Similarly engaging, is a moment when Acerola’s grandmother exits a van on its way to a transportation station because the violence that surrounds it prevents her from leaving. In a well-lighted silhouette, she sits on the curb of the street and sits quietly.

Looking back on the entire film, it really offers more good than harm. While the story is not as polished and the style is not as exciting, the core elements of a strong exercise in craftsmanship are still evident. Since the film really has no connection to its predecessor other than in the realm of the thematic, City of Men would probably have been better suited with a marketing campaign that separated the two projects. City of God is arguably one of the ten best films of the past decade. Any attempt to follow that up is bound to open the door to skepticism.

The special features are minimal on this release. The only thing offered is a short documentary about the making of the film that visits with all of the major collaborators of the project and briefly outlines their creative processes. The director is seen working with the actors, the sound editor discusses how his team developed foley effects for gunfire, and the editor discusses his love of music. The documentary could have been a bit longer, giving us more incite into how the film was made. The DVD as a whole could use a bit more meat on the bone.

Movie Grade: B-
DVD Features Grade: C-
Overall Grade: C+