Review of Rebound (2005) by Nathan W — 03 Jul 2005

[b][font=Arial][color=#000000]Rebound[/color][/font][/b].

[size=3][color=#000000][font=Times New Roman]FINAL SCORE: [b]43.33% TRASH CAN[/b][/font][/color][/size].

[size=3][color=#000000][font=Times New Roman][u]Initial Reaction[/u]: From what?[/font][/color][/size].

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[u][font=Times New Roman][size=3][color=#000000]Main Characters[/color][/size][/font][/u].

[size=3][color=#000000][font=Times New Roman] Coach Roy: He?s a famous pro basketball coach played by Martin Lawrence.[/font][/color][/size].

[size=3][color=#000000][font=Times New Roman] Wendy R. Robinson: She?s a parent of one of the basketball players played by Jeanie Ellis.[/font][/color][/size].

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[u][font=Times New Roman][size=3][color=#000000]Plot Summary[/color][/size][/font][/u].

[size=3][color=#000000][font=Times New Roman] The movie starts off with Coach Roy losing his temper when a ref gives him a technical foul during a basketball game. Coach Roy kicks a basketball that kills the opposing mascot, a bird looking a lot like a falcon.[/font][/color][/size].

[size=3][color=#000000][font=Times New Roman] As punishment for that latest outburst, the league bans Coach Roy from basketball for life, but a loophole in the rules gives him a chance back: Roy has to keep his temper under control and win games with any other team.[/font][/color][/size].

[size=3][color=#000000][font=Times New Roman] But only one team is willing to take him ? his Junior High School, the Mount Vernon Smelters. This team is so bad, that they can?t make a free throw.[/font][/color][/size].

[size=3][color=#000000][font=Times New Roman] Their relationship starts rough ? their first game ends in a triple digit loss and the second game isn?t much better. Can these guys get their acts together?[/font][/color][/size].

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[font=Times New Roman][size=3][color=#000000]SCORING[/color][/size][/font].

[u][font=Times New Roman][size=3][color=#000000]Main Characters[/color][/size][/font][/u].

[size=3][color=#000000][font=Times New Roman] Martin Lawrence is a really good actor, and some of the things he does as Coach Roy is funny. However, some other parts of his character are tired and have been done before in many other underdog sports movies. [/font][/color][/size].

[size=3][color=#000000][font=Times New Roman] Wendy, however, is written in there as the standard romance subplot. SCORE: [b]5[/b].[/font][/color][/size].

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[u][font=Times New Roman][size=3][color=#000000]Supporting Cast[/color][/size][/font][/u].

[size=3][color=#000000][font=Times New Roman] The team Roy has to whip into shape is great. Each kid has their own quirks that are well played out. How they resolve their issues, however, seems a bit unrealistic. One moment, the kid has the problem. The next moment, the problem completely vanishes. SCORE: [b]6.[/b][/font][/color][/size].

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[u][font=Times New Roman][size=3][color=#000000]Plot[/color][/size][/font][/u].

[size=3][color=#000000][font=Times New Roman] Plays out like most underdog sports films. Need I have to ask if Roy and his team become winners? Even the romance subplot is done by the numbers. SCORE: 3[b].[/b][/font][/color][/size].

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[u][font=Times New Roman][size=3][color=#000000]Originality[/color][/size][/font][/u].

[size=3][color=#000000][font=Times New Roman] This is much like many other sports underdog films: [i]Kicking and Screaming[/i], [i]The Mighty Ducks[/i] trilogy, the [i]Air Bud[/i] movies, and so on. It?s time for something more original. SCORE: [b]2[/b].[/font][/color][/size].

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[u][font=Times New Roman][size=3][color=#000000]Violence Factor[/color][/size][/font][/u].

[size=3][color=#000000][font=Times New Roman] A bird gets whacked by a basketball and a girl beats up on several boys ? all in the name of good fun. But showing the boy with a bag of ice against his eye after getting punched there by the girl didn?t come across as funny to me. SCORE: [b]6[/b][/font][/color][/size].

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[u][font=Times New Roman][size=3][color=#000000]Other Moral Issues[/color][/size][/font][/u].

[size=3][color=#000000][font=Times New Roman] This movie?s message is that if any team works hard enough with each other then they?ll be winners and winning is everything. Wait, that?s not a very good message to send out at all. How about a film where the team loses but doesn?t feel like losers? SCORE: [b]4[/b][/font][/color][/size].

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[size=3][color=#000000][font=Times New Roman][u]Final Score (out of 60): [b]26[/b][/u] [u]% Score: [b]43.33%[/b][/u][/font][/color][/size].

[size=3][color=#000000][font=Times New Roman]Martin Lawrence and the kids who play the team he coaches do their best, but they can?t carry the uninspired and rehashed script. [/font][/color][/size].