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Date: 7/5/2018
I’m watching a new comedy in theaters and a guilty pleasure on DVD.
In Theaters: Uncle Drew
There are some films that are completely predictable and formulaic and are boring. Then there are some films that are predicable and formulaic but are enjoyable.
The new basketball comedy “Uncle Drew” is the latter. I knew what was going to happen, but the screenplay and direction presented the story in such an appealing manner that it didn’t bother me.
The film struck a nostalgic chord with me. First it starred a number of basketball greats harkening back to an age of filmmaking 40 years ago when professional athletes would up in films.
It also struck me as a film in the history of the black cinema movement of the 1970s when movies with African-American filmmakers, themes and casts were common and popular with a variety of audiences.
Lil Rel Howery stars as Dax, a life-long basketball fans who is coaching a team to play in the legendary Rucker Classic street basketball tournament in Harlem. When a rival coach poaches his team, Dax decides to approach Uncle Drew, a legendary player who quit the game under mysterious circumstances in the 1970s.
Drew (played with understatement by Boston Celtic player Kyrie Irving) has one condition: he must re-assemble his old team, who he has hasn’t seen in years – and apparently for good reason.
The roster for these senior citizens includes Lights, who is practically blind (played by Reggie Miller); Big Fella, who now runs a martial arts school (Shaquille O’Neal); Boots, who is confined to a wheelchair (Nate Robinson); and Preacher (Chris Webber).
Naturally there is a conflict between Drew and one of the members of the team that has yet to be resolved that causes some dramatic tension. Like other story elements in this film, we know the issue will be resolved just like we know who is going to win and who scores the winning shot.
This is not a criticism, because in this kind of film it’s not the conclusion that is important, it’s the journey we take there. “Uncle Drew” is good-spirited comedy that delivers some laughs and gives anyone who is remotely a basketball fans the satisfaction of seeing a group of NBA players act in a film and appear to have a good time.
Howery makes a fine everyman who is trying to overcome his own problems, while Nick Kroll is effectively obnoxious as his rival coach.
Charles Stone III, who is perhaps best known for “Drum Line,” directs the film. He keeps the story rolling at a good pace and delivers the goods a film such as this one promises.
“Uncle Drew” was the film I needed this week: a light well-made summer comedy.
On DVD: Batman Ninja
As I’ve admitted in other columns, my fanboy flags flies freely with most anything Batman and this latest animated feature is perhaps the most audacious I’ve seen in years.
The film starts out in one direction and makes a hard turn into “What the heck?” territory about halfway through.
The plot centers on arch villain Gorilla Grood (an evil genius primate) who has invented a time machine located in Arkham Asylum. His intent is to take all of the super villains imprisoned there and shoot them to another time and place so he could take over their criminal activities in Gotham.
Batman, aided by several generations of Robins, spoils his plan and everyone, good guy and bad guy, is shot into the past to feudal Japan. For some reason Batman’s rival is two years after everyone else and the Joker, Dead Shot, Poison Ivy, the Penguin and Two-Face has set up their own territories and are vying for power.
Buckle up, as now the ride is about to get really bumpy. The rest of the film includes steampunk technology, moving castles and animals that aid the good guys in ways one would never imagine.
The filmmakers – an all-Japanese crew – decide to make a film that had themes from Japanese popular culture as interpreted through the conventions of Batman.
The look of the film is impressive and the filmmakers understand how to get the most of its limited animation.
Impressive, strange and surprising, “Batman Ninja,” is a must-see for fans of the Caped Crusader.