Zulay Henao Movies
The sultry and alluring Latina actress Zulay Henao premiered onscreen in the late 2000s with a small role in the gritty, urban-oriented drama Illegal Tender (2007) before ascending to much higher billing opposite hip-hop star Omari Grandberry in the musical drama Feel the Noise (2007). ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
A small-town boy hustling his way through the big city forms an uneasy alliance with a scam artist who inducts him into the violent world of bare-knuckle brawling in A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints writer/director Dito Montiel's unforgiving urban action film. Arriving in New York City with little more than the shirt on his back, Shawn MacArthur (Channing Tatum) makes ends meet by selling counterfeit goods on the street. But times are tough and money is short, and just as things are starting to look grim, Shawn crosses paths with crafty con artist Harvey Boarden (Terrence Howard). Harvey instantly recognizes Shawn's natural talent for street fighting, and offers to help the uneasy newcomer make some quick cash on the bare-knuckle circuit. But making a living by brawling isn't easy because the system is hopelessly corrupt, and the only people who really come out on top are the rich businessmen who place wagers on the disposable fighters. Still, Harvey's instincts were right, and Shawn quickly makes a name for himself by taking down every opponent who crosses his path, including mixed martial arts champs, veteran pugilists, and ultimate fighters. As each bout becomes more intense, Shawn realizes that his only hope for escaping this dark world is to face his fiercest opponent to date. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Channing Tatum, Terrence Howard, (more)
A 21-year-old aspiring hip-hop star from the Bronx is forced to put his career on hold when a gang of local thugs threatens his life and he is forced to seek refuge with his estranged father in Puerto Rico in this musical drama from producer Jennifer Lopez. Rob (Omarion Grandberry) is a New York City rapper who has gotten into hot water in his hometown, and now must flee to Puerto Rico. Upon arriving at his father's home in the Caribbean commonwealth, Rob immediately forms a bond with his half-brother, Javi, who introduces his distant sibling to the seductive sounds of Reggaeton. Rob and Javi's outwardly divergent musical tastes ultimately blend to form a unique new brand of hip-hop-flavored reggae, and they soon begin to gain a loyal following that ultimately leads them both back to New York City. Yet despite Rob's growing popularity in the music industry, the gangsters back in the Bronx are still hell-bent on revenge, and willing to gun him down at the first chance they get. Is Rob's newfound status as a high-profile musical innovator enough to make him bulletproof, or could it be that he's more vulnerable than ever now that he's up on-stage for all the world to see? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Omarion Grandberry, Zulay Henao, (more)
A Latino teen with a bright future is forced to battle the sins of the past when the thugs who killed his father return to finish off the rest of the family. College student Wilson De Leon, Kr. (Rick Gonzalez) has an adoring girlfriend and a doting mother, but never once has he been compelled to stand up for what he believes in. When gangsters killed Wilson's father, his mother Wanda (Wanda De Jesus) was forced to flee from her home in order to protect her two sons. From that point on, Wanda determined to give her boys the best life possible. Now that past has returned with a vengeance, but Wanda isn't running anymore. As the murderous gangsters attempt to finish the job that they started by killing Wilson's father, mother and son combine their wits to turn the tables on their tormentors and stand their ground. Empire director Franc Reyes writes and directs a thriller produced by John Singleton. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rick Gonzalez, Wanda De Jesus, (more)
