INTERNATIONAL rap star Eminem makes his first fragile steps into acting in this entertaining but ultimately unsuccessful film.

8 Mile is the classic tale of a downtrodden boy overcoming the various hurdles that fate places around him to become a man.

Eminem's character, Jimmy "Rabbit" Smith, has to put up with poverty, a mother who wont stop talking about her sex life, a girl who sleeps with one of his best mates and various other rappers who want to give him a good kicking.

Not being an Eminem fan I was expecting to hate this movie but his attempt at acting isn't as bad as I thought it would be.

However he doesn't really test himself because he remains stony faced throughout and you can't help wondering what a really talented actor would have made of the role.

The best parts of the film are when the rappers battle each other in gladiatorial-style rapping contests where words and rhymes are the weapons of choice.

This is where Eminem excels himself but unfortunately the rest of the film can't sustain this kind of pace. Paul Keaveny