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Release Date: July 1st, 2005, by Twentieth Century Fox. The Cast: Martin Lawrence, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Breckin Meyer. Directed by Steve Carr. BASIC PREMISE: A college basketball coach (Lawrence) is transferred to coach a middle-school team. ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: Even though the plot is predictable and unoriginal, there are a few surprises. These surprises do not come from Martin Lawrence, though; they come from the supporting cast—especially the kids. The two kids that stand out the most are a bully, who happens to be female, and a dork. They surprisingly and humorously fall in love. Also, the few scenes with Megan Mullally as the principal manage to generate a few scene-stealing laughs. Unfortunately, Lawrence is not very convincing or funny as the lead. He comes off as mostly irritating and it is hard to believe that he can inspire the kids to win. His romance with one of the kid’s mothers is a cheesy and distracting. However, the energy and charisma of the kids themselves help to make this movie much more entertaining. SPIRITUAL VALUE: The romance between the female bully and the dork is very sweet and even heart-warming. They both help one another; the dork helps her with math while she beats up anyone who makes fun of him. The ending is satisfying and uplifting, thanks to a very nice referee. INSULT TO YOUR INTELLIGENCE: When the middle-school basketball team loses in the beginning, their loss is too exaggerated when they have 0 points. NUMBER OF TIMES I CHECKED MY WATCH: 3 THE BOTTOM LINE: A predictable, stale plot does manage to generate a few laughs and surprises thanks to a terrific supporting cast of energetic kids. RECOMMENDED WAY TO WATCH: Movie Theater (2nd Run) Main Page Alphabetical Menu The "R" Menu ______________________________________________________ |
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