Sandler is wonderfully realistic and human, when he plays these kind of roles it's kind of stunning how grounded and emotionally dynamic he can be. Hernangómez isn't able to reach much in the way of depth but he's serviceable enough for being a first time actor. The supporting cast is eclectic with a great heel turn by Foster and a great if limited performance by Queen Latifah as Stanley's wife Teresa, aside from them it's mostly a parade of NBA cameos, which are fun but lacking a bit in narrative or character oomph.
A catchy score and flashy camera work does quite a bit to keep the momentum going but at a two hour runtime the movie seems a bit flabby and there are so many cuts and zooms and handheld shots the basketball itself remains somewhat inert. The action is rarely simply shown, there are no full games actually played. All the play, within the perimeters of the NBA and otherwise, feels a little too much like street ball- flashy dunks and ball handling- that don't actually occur that often in the pros. This is fine as a style choice but doesn't really mesh with the story being told.
An entertaining sports flick but not in the White Men Can't Jump or He Got Game league.
Currently streaming on Netflix.
Rent It.
No comments:
Post a Comment