Nineties nostalgia has extended now to returning to the blacktop courts where Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson hustled and Rosie Perez studied 91裸聊视频淛eopardy!91裸聊视频� answers for foods beginning with the letter 91裸聊视频淨.91裸聊视频�
Why, you ask? The principal reason seems to be giving Jack Harlow, a charismatic, fast-rising white rapper making his acting debut, a vehicle for his laid-back charm.
The original 91裸聊视频淲hite Men Can91裸聊视频檛 Jump91裸聊视频� thrived on Harrelson91裸聊视频檚 goofball energy and the 91裸聊视频淵ou can91裸聊视频檛 hear Jimmy91裸聊视频� trash talk of Snipes, a criminally underrated comic actor (see 91裸聊视频淒olemite Is My Name91裸聊视频�). The contributions of Perez, a hooped-earrings firecracker who makes any movie a little better, shouldn91裸聊视频檛 be minimized, either. 91裸聊视频淲hite Men Can91裸聊视频檛 Jump,91裸聊视频� the rare sports movie where the woman (Perez) walks out on the guy (Harrelson), hinged mostly on its off-court drama.
This limp, half-hearted, breezy remake makes some modest improvements. The film, directed by Calmatic, bounces to a hip-hop beat and the gameplay action is smoother. But the drop off in personality from that original trio is like going from the Lakers to the G-League.
Sinqua Walls stars as Kamal, a once highly touted prospect whose professional career derailed in a rage-fueled incident the film slowly reveals through flashbacks. (The late Lance Reddick plays Kamal91裸聊视频檚 father in one of his last performances.) He91裸聊视频檚 now struggling through a job delivering packages while customers often ridicule him for how low he91裸聊视频檚 fallen. His girlfriend, Imani (Teyana Taylor), though, lovingly supports him.
One day at the gym, Jeremy (Harlow) makes a loud entrance, dressed like, as one character later says, a Sierra Mist can. Kamal91裸聊视频檚 friend Speedy (Vince Staples) notices him and says, 91裸聊视频淭hey let yoga instructors into the gym now?91裸聊视频� Jeremy, a former player at NCAA powerhouse Gonzaga now hobbled by knee pain, is there to hustle games and sell some detox drinks.
Harlow91裸聊视频檚 character is brash, as Harrelson91裸聊视频檚 was, but he91裸聊视频檚 sweeter. His trash talk is earnest. He meditates. The joke isn91裸聊视频檛 that he91裸聊视频檚 racially out of touch, it91裸聊视频檚 that he91裸聊视频檚 almost too sensitive.
Mostly, he91裸聊视频檚 a chatty, charming nuisance that Kamal reluctantly turns to as an on-court partner with hopes of a big cash prize in a three-on-three tournament. Jeremy, meanwhile, has a girlfriend, Tatiana (Laura Harrier), who91裸聊视频檚 pressing him to grow up and find a real job.
Calmatic worked in music videos (Lil Nas X91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淥ld Town Road91裸聊视频�) before making his directorial debut earlier this year with a reboot of 199091裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淗ouse Party.91裸聊视频�
And he films with a polish that takes out some of the asphalt grit that the movie needs. If the original resided on the blacktop, as any pick-up basketball movie should, this remake curiously favors indoor hoops. Last year91裸聊视频檚 surprisingly good basketball movie, with Adam Sandler, had the texture the game deserves.
Walls holds his own in 91裸聊视频淲hite Men Can91裸聊视频檛 Jump91裸聊视频� and Harlow has an easy charm. His debut pales next to those of rappers like Ice Cube, Mos Def and Tupac Shakur. It91裸聊视频檚 asking too much, though, for him to supply so much of the comedy here. The jokes, too, are timid. How is it possible that in today91裸聊视频檚 fraught America, the biggest debate Jeremy and Kamal get into is over whether Spike Lee or Paul Thomas Anderson is the better filmmaker?
There are a few suggestions that betting on pick-up basketball might not be the hustle it once was. Try crypto, one character suggests. Another says it91裸聊视频檚 clear now that white players can ball. I91裸聊视频檓 not sure it91裸聊视频檚 so different than in 1992, when Chris Mullin and John Stockton were in the league. Now there91裸聊视频檚 Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic and Tyler Herro, who makes a cameo. No mention is made of the recent NBA dunk champ, the 691裸聊视频�291裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� Mac McClung, but an older winner of that contest, Blake Griffin, is an executive producer.
But one thing should not have changed. This 91裸聊视频淲hite Men Can91裸聊视频檛 Jump91裸聊视频� never gives its girlfriend characters much to do. They mostly recede as the on-court exploits take over, thus ignoring Perez91裸聊视频檚 wise words from the original: 91裸聊视频淎lways listen to the women.91裸聊视频�
91裸聊视频淲hite Men Can91裸聊视频檛 Jump,91裸聊视频� a 20th Century Studios release, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for pervasive language and some drug material. Running time: 101 minutes. One and a half stars out of four.
91裸聊视频擩ake Coyle, The Associated Press
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