Uncle Drew (2018)

This is one of those rare occasions in which a movie uses the dusty trope of turning a group of oddball misfits into a “family” and actually pulls it off in an emotionally satisfying way.

The fun of Uncle Drew is to be had in the energy of its athletic cast, all of whom appear to be having a grand old time playing around.

For better and worse, Uncle Drew feels like the kind of movie that would’ve cleaned up in the summer of 1998. We’ll see how well its game holds up 20 years later.

Its NBA all-star cast — well hidden under layers of makeup — has a winning chemistry making them easy to root for.

Even though Uncle Drew is outlandish and predictable and downright corny, I loved the positive energy of this film, I got a kick out of the winning performances from a cast of All-Star comic actors and All-Star, well, All-Stars — and I laughed out loud at a steady diet of inside-basketball jokes.

Make no doubt about it, Uncle Drew is a very silly film, old-age makeup and all. But it's got humor, heart and a killer soul soundtrack. You'd be soulless to not find some joy in this movie that's pure summer fun.

It’s fun to hang out with these people for a while.

You more or less know what this soft-drink-sponsored movie is going to be as soon as the lights start to dim. What makes it worth recommending is that it ends up being just slightly more than that by the time the lights come back on.

Uncle Drew is a goodhearted broad comedy, one where you don’t have to know the players (under all that latex) to enjoy the game.

Uncle Drew is such a well-acted, warm-hearted basketball comedy that you’re liable to forget about its corporate origins.

(Mauro Lanari) Dead times, haphazard tirades, a film that never grafts the right rhythm or the correct tone.

This movie was okay. Just okay.............................................

Predictable plot and characters, but an entertaining basketball comedy. The inherent silliness is embraced amd ypu can't help but get into it.

Was not expecting this movie to be this good - it had plenty of funny jokes, and even though it was quite quirky etc, it was really enjoyable.

The pacing is terrible, the acting is weak, the story is bad and predictable. BUT- If you like basketball, this is an entertaining movie that is a fun hour and a half. It won't win any awards and probably will not have any lasting appeal, but it is a fun watch.

Uncle drew embraces its silly concept and brings it to new heights with decent comedy, a likable cast (which is doubly surprising since most of the main characters are celebrity cameos), and a surprising amount of charm.

It's a comedy! What are you gonna do, criticize it? DAMN STRAIGHT I AM! First of all, the makeup in this film is atrocious, there are even some scenes where you can see the cream starting to drip of the actor's faces in the heat of the game. Tiffany Haddish plays that really stereotypical, really annoying, really NOT FUNNY gold-digger girlfriend. And let me tell you, it gets old REAL FAST. The one element where the film shines are the basketball games, and surprisingly there isn't a whole lot of that. Overall, Uncle Drew is a great movie to stream or watch on Netflix, but it's not worth your time to rush over to your cinema and check it out.

I really, really didn't expect to like Uncle Drew at all, but I came out pleasantly surprised. The story is simple enough: a young man pays to enter his team into a big street basketball tournament, but his whole roster leaves his team for another so he is left trying to find replacements. Enter Uncle Drew (an old man who we see show up a younger player on a public court), who the young man convinces to play for him, leading to Uncle Drew rounding up all of his old friends to play as well. This film is pretty dang funny. The jokes that land aren't just deserving of a snort, they're deserving of an audible laugh. Further, while several of the main characters in this film are not played by professional actors, I thought the acting was solid for the most part. Sure, there are a few scenes where you can tell they aren't exactly the most polished out there, but they did well working out of their normal element of playing professional basketball. However, this film stumbles whenever it tries to add in some drama with the comedy. It just doesn't work. It comes off as forced and really brought down the film more than it should have. There are also plenty of comedic cliches at work in Uncle Drew, but I can't say I didn't expect that. It's not like they were going for a groundbreaking comedy here. Overall, Uncle Drew is one of the funnier comedies I've watched this year. It scores pretty high as far as comedy goes, but it slipped up in other areas that keep it from being one of the overall best comedies of the year so far.

I'll start right off with saying: I thoroughly enjoyed this picture, and look forward to when it comes out on blu-ray because I can't wait to watch all the BTS stuff. This is a solid cult comedy, and I have no doubt it will garner a big and loyal following overtime. It's comparable and holds its own to other basketball classics like Space Jam--I do not mean this as an insult, but some may see it this way. It's funny, it's silly, and hilarious, it's entertaining--it's everything I wanted. Did it hit all the cinema critic marks necessary for critics to love it? Definitely not. But still, it's worth watching.

The amazing thing about “Uncle Drew” was how much I enjoyed it! I went in begrudgingly knowing it was a movie about a bunch of old men, ex-basketball players, who want to recapture their youth and there would be the tired Viagra, prostrate plus many other comedy clichés about old people and, yes, they were all there. You know who is going to win the game and, yet, how the heck did I and the rest of the audience cheer the old geezers on and applaud when they win! There is heart, tears, cheers, laughs, and just, in general, a good feeling as you walk out of the theatre. Oh yes, be sure to stay for the end credits and it’s NOT a body double for Shaquille O’Neal! Along with Shaq there is Kyrie Irving as Uncle Drew, Chris Webber, Reggie Miller, Nate Robinson and Lisa Leslie as the ‘old’ players. The make-up for them alone is worth seeing the movie. Lil Rel Howery as a hustler and sad sack holds his own against an obnoxious, annoying played for laughs by Nick Kroll are two rivals with the latter being responsible for destroying the former’s dreams. Like everyone in the world who saw “Girl’s Trip” I, too, fell in love with Tiffany Haddish is starting to come on too strong, in a negative way, playing the same character in whatever she is doing. Yes, I don’t blame her for cashing in while she can but she just might have a longer career if she would just tone it down a bit. Erica Ash as wheelchair-bound Robinson’s granddaughter and caretaker is a delightful new face, handling the comedy as all do. Come on, when was the last time you saw a blind man playing basketball? Okay, it may be the only new idea in the movie, well let’s not forget the makeup though not new but funny as are the jokes, not new but still putting a smile on your face, especially the outrageous van and what goes on in it! Go and see “Uncle Drew”, have a few laughs, let yourself be affected by the sweet, tender moments and don’t be ashamed to cheer at the last basketball game because you won’t be the only one!

I was very surprised at how much I really enjoyed this sports movie. If your missing basketball and fancy balling is what you want, you will not be disappointed with this show. The story - although predictable, even held up well. What is not to like about all these older and new players mixing together, making a fun - good time summer movie.

I am here to review Uncle Drew, a feature-length film that all began with a four-minute Pepsi commercial. Kyrie Irving, the best point guard in the world, returns as the titular character we sports fans have come to love. That may actually be a red flag, however, as an NBA player with no professional acting experience taking on a movie role may seem like a free entry into the Razzie Awards conversation. After watching this movie with my doubts on acting, I can confirm that there aren’t any acting weaknesses among any of the NBA player-actors (except for Shaq). The acting is not what’s wrong with the movie; the direction, cookie-cutter story, and super undeniably predictable plot hold the movie down. The story begins with Dax (Lil Rey, who is really funny) on his quest to build a new team to compete in the Rucker Park 50 Tournament against his rival Mookie (Nick Kroll). He meets Uncle Drew (the great Kyrie, who did mighty fine in this movie) during a pick-up game, and after seeing him unleash his skill, he decides to have Drew form his team of oldies to compete in the tournament. Along the way, we have the team come back together, comprised of Preacher (Chris Webber, probably the funniest), Lights (Reggie Miller), Boots (Nate Robinson), and Big Fella (Shaquille O’Neal). Another former basketball legend in the movie is Lisa Leslie who plays Preacher’s wife Betty Lou. All in all, everyone except for Shaq did a great job in their film debut; they were hilarious, played their roles well, and also had a lot of dance moves to bust down. It’s disappointing to see Shaq not do so well, considering he is the most “seasoned” actor of all these players. Anyways, as I have pointed out in detail, the aspect of the film that I thought would be the worst part was far from it. Instead, the I found the pace of the movie very off. It wasn’t that it was inconsistent; instead, it felt rushed almost the entire time despite the fact that the movie is at least 90 minutes long. Everything happens so quickly; whatever emotional tension is supposed to happen based on revelations from these players’ past, it seems to be immediately resolved. In the end, the story is clear-cut but certainly the same exact plot from dozens of sports movies. The player reconnects with old friends to make a comeback, facing odds stacked against them but eventually overcoming them exactly as you imagined they would. The players made the movie watchable, and the humor is very present. In fact, I would say that it’s one of the funniest movies of the year. What makes this an average sports movie is the predictable plot and the lack of a present emotional conflict that would normally be faced in movies. However it is still a good time, and definitely enjoyable and worth watching for basketball fans. I just wouldn’t’t pay for a movie ticket to watch it. I say, it is worth your $2 on RedBox. If you have any interest in watching this movie, just wait for it on rental. Final Verdict: 6 out of 10

After draining his life savings to enter a team in the Rucker Classic street ball tournament in Harlem, Dax (Lil Rel Howery) is dealt a series of unfortunate setbacks, including losing his team to his longtime rival (Nick Kroll). Desperate to win the tournament and the cash prize, Dax stumbles upon the man, the myth, the legend UNCLE DREW (NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving) and convinces him to return to the court one more time. The two men embark on a road trip to round up Drew's old basketball squad (Shaquille O’Neal, Chris Webber, Reggie Miller, Nate Robinson, and Lisa Leslie) and prove that a group of septuagenarians can still win the big one. Kyrie Irving's crossover to comedy is amiable enough to score with basketball fans, but Uncle Drew is held back by formulaic plotting and too much product placement. Final Grade is a B-.

The performances of the cast and the obvious love for the game of basketball help elevate the lazy narrative and at times very stagnant pacing. Not as consistently enjoyable as I would’ve liked (or as much as the first 20 minutes are), but it’s a decent distraction of a film.

Uncle Drew: Ballin' Review Cinematography: 9.214/10 Consistent flow. Shout out to the filming crew, directing, and script writers on ensuring the film's synchronicity. Very well-done. Costume Design: 9.321/10 Hilarious! Every style fit the purpose of each section of the film. Film Editing: 9.474/10 Very well-done from beginning to end. Clean, cut, and simple. Make-up and Hairstyling: 9.321/10 Hilarious! Every style fit the purpose of each section of the film (just saying - on point). Sound Editing: 9.593/10 Accurate and solid. Visual Effects: - /10 Preacher baby-handling? Hilarious. Still, I'm going N/A here. Story: 8.432/10 The story is hilarious and simple. This is a family film (at least families came to see it). Dax's rival, Mookie, is key to the story but makes really awkward appearances which fits the film's theme; do you think Allen Iverson had a sense of admiration for Jordan before and after he crossed him? The film covers many angles of balance, belief, communication, community, and family all through basketball in a fun-light-touching way. The film attempts to tell a good-honest story without attempting to be over-the-top funny. Understandably, the film is not Coach Carter; Uncle Drew makes sure to completely irritate the film towards a more upbeat standard after a seemingly touchy scene to remind people of the comedic elements to the story which helps to engage points about the fleeting and lasting in life. Acting: 8/10 Early on, Light seems to be working on his acting consistency though finds a rhythm and grows funnier as the film progresses. Mookie and Tiffany Haddish grow funnier as the film goes on. Everyone else plays their role so well in the film. The acting older folk really seem like older folks balling that enjoy the game of Basketball. Personal: This is definitely a family film for ages to come and has set the tone for other films like it to come along. This is a more relatable Space Jam. Everyone in theater nine at AMC's Essex Dine-In Theater is alive and laughing at the acting, comedy, and slick comments throughout the film concerning Basketball players. People are breaking out to sing certain songs. Yes, I do start singing the Isley Brother's "Between the Sheets" for a bit myself. I remember being on Basketball and Soccer teams growing up. That's the way I got to meet my then girlfriend (at the time): she is so into Basketball and Soccer: I'm into both and computer games; now that I really think about it, she got me better at sports and I got her better with computers. At least our memories together are good while they last. Anyway, I like the film's concepts at work especially about the love of sport (in the film, in relation to Basketball). I only feel like an athlete when I'm competing. Every other time I'm dealing with myself as a developing-figuring person. Anyway, I think Uncle Drew is a really solid-well-done family film that teaches a lot in a comical-hearty-journey with Basketball. Uncle Drew may be a comedic-film route for Basketball lovers to appreciate major Basketball memories in a fun-lighter tone (though potentially begrudgingly - but hey, what have we learned from Uncle Drew?). You'll have to watch the film to better understand. Overall: 9.050/10 -K.D. If you're into Poetry and other bits of creativity, check out my Instagram: @Dufreshest. P.S. After watching the film, I come to think of Grown Ups.