# All About the Benjamins
**All About the Benjamins** is a 2002 American action-comedy directed by Kevin Bray, written by Ronald Lang and Ice Cube, and starring Ice Cube as a Miami bounty hunter who teams with the bail jumper he is chasing to recover stolen diamonds and a winning lottery ticket.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/62163) [New Line Cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-line-cinema) released it wide in the United States on March 8, 2002.[2](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0278295/) The title refers to $100 bills, which carry the portrait of [Benjamin Franklin](https://www.edgepedia.org/benjamin-franklin).[3](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-mar-04-et-itkfilms4-story.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | March 8, 2002, wide, by New Line Cinema; video release August 20, 2002 by New Line Home Video[2](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0278295/) • [4](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/All-About-the-Benjamins-%282002%29) |
| Director and writers | Kevin Bray, a veteran of more than 100 music videos, in his feature directorial debut; screenplay by Ronald Lang and Ice Cube[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/62163) • [5](https://moviearchive.phase9.tv/movies/allaboutthebenjamins.shtml) |
| Lead cast | Ice Cube (Bucum Jackson), Mike Epps (Reggie Wright), Eva Mendes (Gina), Tommy Flanagan (Williamson), Carmen Chaplin (Ursula)[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/62163) |
| Box office | $10,007,291 opening weekend; $25,916,319 domestic; $26,306,533 worldwide, 98.5% of it domestic[2](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0278295/) • [4](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/All-About-the-Benjamins-%282002%29) |
| Budget | $14,000,000 per The Numbers; $15,000,000 estimated per IMDb and Box Office Mojo[4](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/All-About-the-Benjamins-%282002%29) • [6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0278295/) |
| Rating and runtime | MPAA R for strong violence, pervasive language and brief sexuality; running time reported as 94 minutes by AFI, 95 by IMDb, and 98 by The Numbers[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/62163) • [6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0278295/) • [4](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/All-About-the-Benjamins-%282002%29) |
| Critical scores | 31% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer from 74 reviews; 34 on Metacritic from 26 critic reviews[7](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/all_about_the_benjamins) • [8](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/all-about-the-benjamins/) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
Bucum Jackson (Ice Cube) is a bounty hunter working for Martinez Bail Bonds in Miami, tired of his dangerous and unprofitable profession and hoping to open his own private investigation firm.[9](https://icecube.com/filmography/all-about-the-benjamins/) Lacking the stake money, he hunts down Reggie Wright ([Mike Epps](https://www.edgepedia.org/mike-epps)), a fast-talking small-time con artist who has crossed his path before.[9](https://icecube.com/filmography/all-about-the-benjamins/)
During the chase, Reggie hides in a van driven by two murderous diamond thieves who have just made off with $20 million worth of stones, working for the crime lord and yacht broker Williamson (Tommy Flanagan).[9](https://icecube.com/filmography/all-about-the-benjamins/) The thieves discover their haul is fake, and Reggie, escaping, leaves his wallet behind in the van; it holds the sole winning ticket in a $60 million lottery.[9](https://icecube.com/filmography/all-about-the-benjamins/) • [10](https://www.tributemovies.com/movie/all-about-the-benjamins/3770/) The mismatched pair then joins forces to outfox the syndicate and recover both the ticket and the gems, with Reggie's girlfriend Gina ([Eva Mendes](https://www.edgepedia.org/eva-mendes)) drawn in as well.[9](https://icecube.com/filmography/all-about-the-benjamins/) • [7](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/all_about_the_benjamins)
## Production
The film was a Cube Vision production distributed by New Line; Ice Cube produced with Matt Alvarez, and the credited crew included cinematographer Glen MacPherson, editor Suzanne Hines, production designer J. Mark Harrington, and composer John Murphy.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/62163) Filming took place in [Hollywood, Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/hollywood-florida), and the production companies included New Line Cinema, Cube Vision, and Flipside Entertainment.[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0278295/) A Los Angeles Times report placed the film in New Line's strategy of low-budget, rap-themed urban films that turn profits when they connect with moviegoers, and noted that director Kevin Bray came to the project after more than 100 music videos.[3](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-mar-04-et-itkfilms4-story.html) • [5](https://moviearchive.phase9.tv/movies/allaboutthebenjamins.shtml)
The supporting cast included Carmen Chaplin as Ursula, Anthony Michael Hall as Lil' J, Roger Guenveur Smith, Valarie Rae Miller, and Shad "Bow Wow" Moss; [Oscar Isaac](https://www.edgepedia.org/oscar-isaac) also appears in the credited cast list.[1](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/62163) • [10](https://www.tributemovies.com/movie/all-about-the-benjamins/3770/) Ice Cube and Mike Epps had previously appeared together in the Friday films, and reviewers noted the pairing as the film's central draw.[11](https://udspace.udel.edu/bitstream/19716/15991/1/udr_128_39.pdf)
## Box office
The film opened in 1,505 theaters on March 8, 2002 and earned $10,007,291 over its first weekend, ranking third and taking 39.3% of its eventual domestic total in that weekend.[4](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/All-About-the-Benjamins-%282002%29) Weekly grosses fell about 50% in each of the next two weeks, and the run ended after 11 weeks with a domestic total of $25,916,319.[4](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/All-About-the-Benjamins-%282002%29) • [2](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0278295/) [International business](https://www.edgepedia.org/international-business) was small: worldwide gross was $26,306,533, making the domestic share 98.5%, and the film's widest release peaked at 1,519 theaters.[2](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0278295/) • [4](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/All-About-the-Benjamins-%282002%29) Against a production budget reported at $14 million to $15 million, the worldwide gross was about 1.8 times the budget per The Numbers.[4](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/All-About-the-Benjamins-%282002%29) • [6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0278295/)
## Soundtrack
An original soundtrack album was released on February 19, 2002, running 51:07 and spanning soundtrack, R&B, and rap styles.[12](https://www.allmusic.com/album/all-about-the-benjamins-mw0000213854) Its previously released tracks included B.G.'s "Bling Bling," the O'Jays' "For the Love of Money," and Puff Daddy's "It's All About the Benjamins," the last in a remixed version featuring a new verse by [The Notorious B.I.G.](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-notorious-b-i-g)[12](https://www.allmusic.com/album/all-about-the-benjamins-mw0000213854) The film itself uses that Puff Daddy track, performed with The Notorious B.I.G., Lil' Kim, and [The Lox](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-lox), courtesy of [Bad Boy Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/bad-boy-records)/Arista.[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0278295/) AllMusic's reviewer noted that despite starring in the film, Ice Cube contributed no song, previously released or new, to the album.[12](https://www.allmusic.com/album/all-about-the-benjamins-mw0000213854)
## Reception
Critical response was largely negative. Rotten Tomatoes recorded 31% on the Tomatometer from 74 reviews, with a critics consensus calling it "a sloppy, poorly directed action-comedy" that is "too derivative and gratuitously violent," while audience ratings stood at 76% on the Popcornmeter from more than 25,000 ratings.[7](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/all_about_the_benjamins) Metacritic assigned a Metascore of 34 from 26 critic reviews, categorized as generally unfavorable, against a user score of 6.7.[8](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/all-about-the-benjamins/)
Reviewers singled out the two leads even when panning the film. The Los Angeles Times wrote that Ice Cube "shows greater confidence and flexibility as a leading man" and that Mike Epps's motor-mouth persona, with its "street-level vulnerability," made a natural contrast to Cube's sourness.[13](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-mar-08-et-seymour8-story.html) Salon credited Ice Cube as the film's one asset while criticizing the pacing and first-time director Bray's handling of dialogue.[14](https://www.salon.com/2002/03/08/benjamins/) The Chicago Tribune's review held that "the home-run performances of Cube and Epps are handicapped by inept and illogical action sequences."[7](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/all_about_the_benjamins) A student review in The Review of the [University of Delaware](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-delaware) rated the film three stars, calling it less memorable than buddy-action comedies such as *48 Hrs.* and *Midnight Run* but entertaining.[11](https://udspace.udel.edu/bitstream/19716/15991/1/udr_128_39.pdf)
## References
1. [All About the Benjamins (2002), AFI Catalog](https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/62163)
2. [All About the Benjamins (2002), Box Office Mojo](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0278295/)
3. [Placing Big Bets on the 'Benjamins', Los Angeles Times, March 4, 2002](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-mar-04-et-itkfilms4-story.html)
4. [All About the Benjamins (2002), The Numbers](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/All-About-the-Benjamins-%282002%29)
5. [All About The Benjamins, Phase9 Movie Archive](https://moviearchive.phase9.tv/movies/allaboutthebenjamins.shtml)
6. [All About the Benjamins (2002), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0278295/)
7. [All About the Benjamins, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/all_about_the_benjamins)
8. [All About the Benjamins Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/all-about-the-benjamins/)
9. [All About the Benjamins, IceCube.com filmography](https://icecube.com/filmography/all-about-the-benjamins/)
10. [All About the Benjamins (2002), Tribute Movies](https://www.tributemovies.com/movie/all-about-the-benjamins/3770/)
11. [The Review, University of Delaware, March 15, 2002](https://udspace.udel.edu/bitstream/19716/15991/1/udr_128_39.pdf)
12. [All About the Benjamins Original Soundtrack, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/album/all-about-the-benjamins-mw0000213854)
13. [The Usual Caper, a Better-Than-Usual Duo, Los Angeles Times, March 8, 2002](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-mar-08-et-seymour8-story.html)
14. ["All About the Benjamins", Salon, March 8, 2002](https://www.salon.com/2002/03/08/benjamins/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Action and adventure films (individual works) › Action comedies › Action comedies, 2000 to 2019*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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