Uncle Drew

Starring: Kyrie Irving, Lil Rey Howery, Shaquille O'Neal, Chris Webber, Reggie Miller, Nate Robinson, Lisa Leslie, Erica Ash, Tiffany Haddish, Nick Kroll, Aaron Gordon, Mike Epps, J.B. Smoove
Directed by: Charles Stone III
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Sport
2018

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A desperate basketball coach (Lil Rey Howery) needs a team to compete in the Rucker Classic Street ball Tournament. He reluctantly agrees to search out the legendary Uncle Drew (Kyrie Irving).

Review:

Tim: My feelings about Kyrie Irving are complicated. As a Cleveland Cavaliers fan, I'm not happy that he left the team and plays for the Boston Celtics now. As someone living in Boston, although I don't like the team, it is fun to have him locally. But, the most powerful feeling is one of intense gratitude- he hit an unbelievable shot that allowed the Cleveland Cavaliers to win the NBA Finals, something I didn't think I would see in my lifetime. So, I went into this movie skeptical, but hopeful because Irving helped bring a title to Cleveland. Uncle Drew is an intriguing movie. On the one hand, it's unbelievably stupid. However, there's this unexpected warmth and emotion to the story. In the end, it doesn't do enough to be a good movie, but it's thoroughly decent and a lot better than I expected.

One of the great moves was Uncle Drew a supporting figure in the film. The story is really focused on Lil Rey Howery. This was a smart move, because Howery is relatable and likeable. It allows Uncle Drew to have a big impact but in small doses. The movie doesn't rest on his shoulders. Howery really makes the movie work- he's funny and he does enough to make you care about his character. He also has enough skepticism about the whole thing to act as a proxy for the audience. Howery was essential to this film and he is up for the challenge. I'm actually shocked how good Kyrie Irving was. Although his use of "youngblood" got annoying quickly, he actually delivered a solid performance. He projected this world weariness and wisdom combination that really worked. I have no complaints about Irving's performance. It was fun seeing these two interact.

The supporting cast was important, too. It was fun to see these basketball stars in old age makeup. Shaquille O'Neal is always fun and I loved the energy he brought. Some of the decisions about his character were not as effective as they could be, but Shaq did a good job. Chris Webber gave a strong performance, and Reggie Miller had some nice moments, too. Nate Robinson didn't get enough to do, but he was funny in the role. Lisa Leslie isn't much of an actress, but you can tell she really worked hard and I was glad she was included. Tiffany Haddish felt more annoying than anything else. I know she's big right now, but based on this, I left feeling unimpressed. Erica Ash was fine, but her performance felt a little bland. Nick Kroll was so over-the-top, but he makes the performance work. His role was essential and he delivers a strong performance. He's annoying, but in the right way. As a whole, the cast was quite strong.

One of the big appeals of this movie is seeing "old" people playing some serious basketball. It's a dumb premise, but it's goofy and funny and it works more often than it doesn't. I liked how the film starts out more as a road trip film before finally resulting in the basketball-focused movie. It gave the film this nice balance. The basketball scenes are fun, even though they are ridiculous. The movie as a whole wasn't especially funny, but it was entertaining slightly more often than it wasn't.

Going into a movie based on a commercial, your expectations can't be all that high. And to be honest, this isn't a good movie. There's too much that doesn't work. However, this movie probably should have been a disaster and it isn't. It actually has some heartfelt moments and the message is truly worthwhile. Uncle Drew is only a decent movie, but it manages to be a success as well. It wouldn't have surprised me if this film was an epic disaster. It never approaches that territory. I don't know a lot about director Charles Stone III, but he did impressive work here.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 6.5



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