The idea of taking one amazing current NBA player—Kyrie Irving—and four former all-stars (Shaquille O’Neal, Reggie Miller, Nate Robinson and Chris Webber) donning old man makeup in Uncle Drew is one that had our attention as soon as that first trailer premiered. Center an entire movie about them returning to the NYC streetball tourney they used to rule decades prior is fascinating and has potential to be something quite enjoyable. Turns out, it is (mostly).
Uncle Drew is truly about Dax (Lil Rel Howery). His adult life has not fared so well. Well, let’s be real—he’s not complaining. He lives with his girlfriend Jess (Tiffany Haddish), works at Foot Locker (which is nice given his passion for basketball) and is the coach of what appears to be the best blacktop basketball player the city has currently.
As an orphan, he seeks family where he can find it and he thinks he has it with his team. Think again.
His longtime rival, Mookie (Nick Kroll)—who coaches another team—steals his all-star Casper (Aaron Gordon) and his lady. Dax is left with nothing.
While hanging at the barbershop, he hears these legendary stories about Uncle Drew (Kyrie Irving), a late 60s and early 70s basketball star who star vanished as quickly as it rose. Soon after, fate arrives. Dax happens to be on a court and who should be giving a running commentary about the selfish play of today’s kids merely feet away? You guessed it.
An idea is hatched to “get the band back together” and take on those upstarts (including Dax’s conniving nemesis) in the 50th anniversary Rucker Classic streetball tournament.
Uncle Drew and his crew are spread out over the east coast and that means one thing—road trip! The new coach and star player hit the road in the latter’s tripped out 70s van and pick up Preacher (Webber), Boots (Robinson), Lights (Miller) and Big Fella (who else? O’Neal!)
Nothing like an extended four-wheeled journey to bring people closer together. It is an impeccable storytelling choice for forcing a group of characters to open up and get that old exposition out of the way in a relatively short amount of time. There’s also a huge opportunity for a moment to be introduced that will become a rallying cry for our protagonists.
Everyone in the theater knows that two teams, Dax’s and Mookie’s, are on a collision course. But, it is surprisingly fascinating, mostly entertaining and decently humorous how we get there. There are no new paths forged by screenwriter Jay Longino that makes us sit up and take notice, but Uncle Drew does firmly hold our attention until the fateful finish.
The other issue with films such as this is that filmmakers cast non-actors to act. Hollywood history has illustrated that that is a major chore. Often, it does not work at the best and at the worst, utterly ruins a cinematic experience. I’ve spoken to many a helmer who reported that the reason this practice continues that it is much easier—in this case—to teach acting to a basketball star than it is to teach basketball to an actor.
With Uncle Drew, it works. Not once is one removed from the heart-is-in-the-right-place film due to pained delivery, a flat performance or the utter failure to maintain a character and keep with it through the challenge of navigating arc and the arc of all those around you. In fact, the fab five (plus Lisa Leslie as Preacher’s wife Betty Lou), go deep and each gets a spotlight moment to truly emote and shine.
Who most impressed us with their thespian skills?
Why, it’s the onscreen duo who proves that the couple who prays together, stays together. Webber not only nails the essence of Preacher, but also masters the movement, speech patterns and general air of a man who is supposed to be in his seventies. Lisa mirrors her screen pattern note for note.
Now, on to the people who make their living with their thespian skills.
Prior to Uncle Drew, I was not all-too aware of the work of Howery (other than Get Out). With what he achieved in this effort, the comic actor is now firmly on my radar. Now, Haddish is a different story. She’s been making all kinds of noise… especially lately. Her scene-stealing turn in Girls Trip even had her buzzing with Best Supporting Actress talk. She nails the comic character that you pull for masterfully in all her previous work. In this picture, she gets to be not-so-nice and does so in a way that it does not detract from her (many) laugh-out-loud creating moments. That is one tough task.
Yes, Uncle Drew is based on a character that was born in the world of marketing (through a series of Irving-starring Pepsi ads). But one should not go in to the theater biased due to that fact. There is no more product placement in this picture than what one would see in a one-hour drama on television. Still, it seems strange to call this movie important—especially when it is obvious that these ballers are, in reality, not too far out from their retirement date. In Irving’s case, he remains one of the best players in the NBA currently.
The message should still not be lost. Too often in our society, the elderly are at the least tossed aside in the societal heap of folks we don’t listen to and at the most completely ignored. Uncle Drew tells us that they not only still have value but can serve as inspirations and illuminate their life experience which if listened to or followed, makes us all better people. OK, now that I got that out of the way… let’s not look to deeply into what is largely a fluff piece of moviemaking. The point is just made to illustrate that the Charles Stone III (Drumline) directed film goes a wee bit deeper and entertains more surprisingly than many flicks that inhabit our theaters during these warmer months known as the summer movie season.
Grade: B-