On Jan. 23, Hollywood gave way to one of the greatest movies of all time: “Clika.” Maybe that’s an exaggeration because it does have flaws.  

The movie follows Chito as he tries to make it big in the music industry, while his mom struggles paying for their house. So Chito faces struggles and wants to sell weed to help out and fund his music, but his mom warns him that there are no shortcuts to your dreams.

For starters, Mexican artist and singer Jaydee plays the main character, and it’s disappointing that he just can’t act. At the same time, his character Chito still ends up being one of my favorites in the movie. Hispanic comedian DoKnow plays Blunt, Chito’s friend and one of my other favorite characters. Their scenes together made me laugh, and they remind me of how my friends and I get along. 

I also liked seeing Hispanic rapper OhGeesy in the movie. Seeing him in it made the movie more connected to real culture and music, especially for fans like me who recognize him. It added authenticity to the movie. 

The movie was inspiring in its own way. It showed the lifestyle and mindset behind chasing your dreams, even when things aren’t perfect. To me, it felt like a homage to the revolutionary music genre corridos tumbados and the new generation of Chicano culture. It represents a style and identity that a lot of people from this generation, myself included, can relate to. I liked its message that there are no shortcuts to your dreams. 

My favorite parts of the movie are all the scenes that show Chito singing, and in the climax when he starts making money and life is good for him. I found myself cheering along for him from my living room. Every song that’s performed matched its scene perfectly, and if you’re a corrido fan like me, you’ll understand every single reference shown in the movie.

In my eyes, this movie is absolute cinema. I would put it up there with movies like “Selena,”  “La Bamba,” “Stand and Deliver” and “Blood In Blood Out” because of how it represents culture and leaves an impact on the audience. 

Any critics who say the movie was bad are a bunch of paddycakes and uncultured pigs. The movie might not be perfect, but it speaks to a certain audience and culture, and that’s what really matters. I give it a 10 out of 10.