Home court: 'Uncle Drew' is for the fans, not the doubters

"Uncle Drew"
2.5 out of 5 Stars
Director: Charles Stone III
Writer: Jay Longino
Starring: Kyrie Irving, Lil Rel Howery, Shaquille O'Neal
Genre: Comedy
Rated: PG-13 for suggestive material, language and brief nudity

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) - Synopsis: Desperate to win the Rucker Classic street ball tournament, Dax, a disgraced baller who reinvents himself as a small-time coach, recruits a team of elderly players featuring the blacktop legend Uncle Drew.

Review: I enjoyed the Pepsi Max ad campaign that saw Kyrie Irving disguising himself as an old man named Uncle Drew and schooling various street ball teams. Sure, it was all based on an elaborate lie, but the reactions of the players and audiences were real.

There’s nothing real in the film “Uncle Drew,” which takes away part of what made the character interesting in the first place. Sure, the film is still about a group of old guys taking it to younger players, but it’s not nearly as much fun when the narrative is scripted. To help compensate, Irving brought in the motley crew of Shaquille O’Neal, Chris Webber, Reggie Miller, Nate Robinson and Lisa Leslie. The film is a little strange in that none of the actors are playing themselves but that doesn’t keep the script from having jokes about Webber’s famous tournament blunder or O’Neal throwing shade on a former teammate.

“Uncle Drew” will never be confused for highbrow art, but I can see it appealing to those in its target demographic.

If nothing else, it will help you appreciate Bradley Cooper’s performance in “American Sniper.” Maybe Webber should have asked him for some pointers before getting into that baptismal font.