Irving said that the basketball scenes for "Uncle Drew" were anything but easyLIONSGATE
Lionsgate's "Uncle Drew" opened Friday "in over 2,700 theaters" across the U.S., with Celtics G Kyrie Irving starring in the "Pepsi commercial-turned-feature film," according to Rebecca Rubin of VARIETY. The film details a "down-on-his-luck basketball coach (Lil Rel Howery), who enlists basketball legend Uncle Drew (Irving) to recruit a group of septuagenarian former ballers to play in Harlem's Rucker Classic street ball tournament." The comedy "features a mashup of athletes and comedians," including Shaquille O'Neal, Reggie Miller, Chris Webber, Nate Robinson and Lisa Leslie (VARIETY.com, 6/29). In Boston, Stephen Schaefer noted Irving "found filmmaking a challenge." He said, "It was easy to fulfill that role in the shorts. But taking on the movie was a whole different thing, really making sure that emotionally I was connected with every specific scene and making sure the character was authentic." Irving said that the basketball scenes "were anything but easy." Irving: "We had to really find what perspective works as well as do our lines and get the emotional connection. There was a lot going on while we were on the court. They had to figure out a way to choreograph that in order to capture what we needed" (BOSTON HERALD, 6/26)
SHOWING A MEAN CROSSOVER: In L.A., Katie Walsh wrote under the header, "'Uncle Drew' Is The Surprise Comedy Of The Summer." The movie is "highly entertaining and even more endearing," and it is "just so incredibly strange that its genuine humor and heart catch you off guard" (LATIMES.com, 6/28). ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY's Chris Nashawaty wrote "Uncle Drew" is "one of those lightweight summer diversions that's a hundred times funnier than you expect." Nashawaty: "Which isn't to say it's great -- just not as disposable as it could have been" (EW.com, 6/27). In Chicago, Michael Phillips wrote somehow, as "corny and predictable as it is, and even with a tsunami of product placement," the movie "works." It is "pretty funny; it's pretty charming;" and it is good-natured (CHICAGOTRIBUNE.com, 6/26). Also in Chicago, Richard Roeper wrote "Uncle Drew" is "outlandish and predictable and downright corny." However, Roeper noted that he "loved the positive energy," and "got a kick out of the winning performances from a cast of All-Star comic actors." Roeper: "I laughed out loud at a steady diet of inside-basketball jokes" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 6/28). In Utah, Josh Terry writes the movie has a "big heart and a strong message about confronting your past." In spite of its shortcomings, "Uncle Drew" "manages to capture the joy of basketball." For a movie "inspired by a TV commercial, that's a pretty noble achievement" (DESERETNEWS.com, 6/29).
Irving (c) stars as the titular Uncle Drew alongside Basketball HOFers like Reggie Miller (r)LIONSGATE
MORE THAN JUST A COMMERCIAL: In DC, Pat Padua writes "Uncle Drew" may be "predictable," but its NBA all-star cast "has a winning chemistry making them easy to root for." The "septuagenarian squad includes vivid characters played by heavily disguised NBA legends," and Webber is "terrific as a flamboyant Baptist minister who deftly handles a soon-to-be-baptized infant like a basketball." Despite the "rampant product placement, this feels less like a slick commercial and more like hanging out with old friends who just happen to take a lot of Aleve" (WASHINGTON POST, 6/29). In S.F., Peter Hartlaub wrote "Uncle Drew" is the "best-case scenario for a movie based on a soft drink advertisement." In addition to being a "solidly executed central gimmick -- old guys kicking young butts on a street ball court -- there's a pretty good heart" to the movie (SFCHRONICLE.com, 6/28). The BOSTON HERALD's Schaefer writes the movie does not "seem like one big commercial for the soft drink or ESPN." The performances are "broad, the scenario predictable." However, the "fun really is in the familiarity, good vibes and genial charm of a large ensemble that never ever winks or condescends to the material but offers conviction and dedication" (BOSTONHERALD.com, 6/29).
TIME TO SIT ON THE BENCH: The AP's Jocelyn Noveck wrote for a few "shining minutes, 'Uncle Drew' is the movie it surely intended to be: funny and clever, quick and snappy, and most of all, fun." Unfortunately, those minutes "come during the closing credits." The movie "falls into a disappointingly formulaic lull for large stretches, squeezing all spontaneity from the proceedings" (AP, 6/27). In Boston, Mark Feeney wrote it is "amiable enough, even crowd-pleasing, but pretty ramshackle." Feeney: "It's like a Tyler Perry movie with jump shots." The screenplay "lards all the hoop action and comedy with troweled-on sentimentality and even a little romance" (BOSTONGLOBE.com, 6/27). In N.Y., Glenn Kenny wrote the "old-age makeup applied to the actors is -- and I suppose this was entirely deliberate -- unrealistic." The "outlandish hairpieces and facial prosthetics produce an effect somewhere between TV sketch comedy and Kabuki theater." The movie carries a "bland undertaste" (NYTIMES.com, 6/28). The GLOBE & MAIL's Brad Wheeler wrote under the header, "Uncle Drew Limps Along With Arthritic Plot." Wheeler added that it is a "soft film" promoting a soft drink (THEGLOBEANDMAIL.com, 6/28). In Akron, George Thomas wrote director Charles Stone III deserved credit for taking a "threadbare concept and turning it into something that's generally entertaining sometimes but overall unfulfilling." The film "takes every sports cliché from every practice and every pre-and-post-game press conference and rolls them into a bit of silliness." Were it not for a "few enjoyable moments, 'Uncle Drew' would have been better served heading directly to a streaming service or disc" (OHIO.com, 6/27).
