Slamma Jamma (2017)

10 out of 10.....As our country continues to see the lines of racial divide grow farther and farther apart this film is a breath of fresh air. With a well written screenplay and excellent acting this slam dunk movie lifts the spirit of its audience to embrace the truth that peace can be found for everyone through faith in the one true source of hope and love. We need more films like this to help shape our culture for the betterment of society.Take your family, take your friends, take your sports teams, and see this film. If we can emulate the change that took place in this man's heart and soul then maybe we can make a difference in our nation that has eternal weight.

I think this is one of my favourite films. The acting is superb, slam-dunk champion Staples shines in his role as Michael Diggs, and Michael Irvin is also pretty good as his former agent. As well as the smart acting there is a powerful script and storyline, i wont say the story because its probably already been said in other reviews, but the characters are believable and original.The music is another good point for this film, the songs done by the rappers really add to the feel of the film and the title song "Slam" is a brilliant track.My favourite aspect of this film is the director''s use of the camera, his slow pans around and smooth camera movements with no cuts are really good, this film contains some of the best shots i've seen and are really inspiring.Especially the scene when Chris is in the park hugging his mother's grave.My main criticism of this film is the ending, the film was believable and real all the way through but the ending was a big letdown, my other criticism is that it is a bit too long and can lose the audiences attention by being a bit boring.But overall this is a great film by one of Hollywood's best faith-based directors, and this film should have got more praise than it got, especially Chris Staple's performance.

This 2 hour movie is pretty lackluster for the first 50 minutes or so. Then it picks up and the intensity builds and builds right to the end. It's simply one of those great sports movie that's really well done. I would easily rank in my top 20, perhaps like #17.'Slamma Jamma' is a formulaic yet an enjoyable film. It's a movie that gives itself away as soon as one character says "I want to win that dunk competition!" Still it has charm and excitement that comes from seeing it for what it is. It's predictable, yeah, but it's not much different from seeing a replay of a competition where your favorite character won.The film turns into a genuinely inspiring story about courage and determination in the face of societal pressure and incalculable odds. And that's pretty much what sports stories, familiar though they might be, are really all about. This was a heartfelt movie where often, I got upset to see how cruel people would be to others, just because of the color of their skin. I am "white" though not white like this screen, lol, and raised in Los Angeles during the late 60's/70's and just never understood why people would not like you, without even knowing you just because of your looks/race and go to prison like Diggs did.The movie delivers the goods: great performances and a lot of sports suspense. However, you have give it chance - the first one forth of the show is kind of slow. Many people can relate to this film. The director did a good job so that anyone could sit down and watch the movie to a point they would leave with a upbeat mind. This was a positive thing the director showed. Towards the end, everyone had each others back. The players even entered their world with confidence. This was a symbol that when we as a people start being positive about things nothing but good will happen to us.For basketball fans and general audiences alike - this is a good movie worth checking out. The actors on the team all did a wonderful job. The film shows the hatred and prejudice against them but also the eventual acceptance. In the film, there are problems within the team when the new players first arrived, though I understand that wasn't really the caseIt's an engaging film with a great message based on a true story.Great sequences and styles in the tradition of sports classics like "Hoosiers", "Remember the Titans" and "Friday Night Lights"The movie works well as a sports story—it reminds me of the movie Miracle (I thought Kurt Russell deserved an Academy Award nomination for that one!)—but its political statement is what's most important. Guy out of prison can make it!A great story, but not brought to life that well on the big screen. Yet the film is interesting, holds your interest and is less cheesy than anticipated although it probably has taken liberties with the real version of the story.I don't know a lot about cameras, lenses, and film stock (if movies still use film anymore?), but there's a grainy, orangey patina to the movie that gives it its old feel, and it's very effective.Besides that, it's a solid, journeyman, underdog sports movie (with a whole lot of racial tension thrown in). Besides the color of the film, there's a laying open of the frustration and surrender black players felt after a relentless barrage of hate from opposing dunkers like Gary Smith and their respective communities. Finally, key dunker surrender to reverse hatred and lump all "crackers" together.If you are not moved by this film, then you are part of what was wrong then and what is not corrected to this day. It was about respect and the need for humans to give each other their due and not dwell on stupidity. We were all cut from the same cloth many many generations ago in Africa. I came to Florida from West Texas and know the area well. Color is not important there when it comes to sports. We've gotten past that. It is time to get past it in other areas of our lives. If Slamma Jamma can help a little bit in that, then it is well worth your time. Well, it's well worth your time anyway as it is a great movie. Michael Diggs shows the world that what really matters is your heart. And is your heart right with the man above?The film is memorable and ends in an upbeat fashion. Don't miss it.You need not be a basketball or sports fan in general to enjoy this highly recommended movie.Rating of eight stars out of ten.

I have to say it this IS THE BEST SPORTS MOVIE EVER MADE!!! If ever there was a basketball film that made you stand up and cheer, this one is it! Even Stephen A. Smith, that crazy dog sports critic on ESPN, loved this film - what does that tell you? Granted this film may not be academy award material, but the photography and music alone make this a worthwhile film. So if you are bored on a Sunday afternoon, especially if it is the dead of autumn...this is a great one to curl up to and watch. And you will cry. Boy, you will cry.I won't carry on forever but I should say that this film is something of a well-kept secret it seems. One thing about "little gems" like this one is that if you hype them too much they become something else. If you see this movie with expectations too high then you might be disappointed, if on the other hand you watch it expecting to see one of the best low key character dramas you've probably seen in a while then you'll feel rewarded. Ultimately this is a film driven by SIX great performances (that's one for every member of the ensemble and another by the filmmaker). What is there to say, they were all flawless and not once did the writing sink into cliché or formula. For once it was just great to watch a movie where, personally, every time I thought I knew what would happen, my expectations were defied. I'm not talking about any, now all too popular; so-called clever twists but just subtle turns in unexpected directions. In other words this is truthful cinema at its best, unexpected in the way life often really is. GOD IS AT THE CENTER.To say that 'Slamma' is simply an allegory for faith in God is far too reductionist when discussing a film that has this much to say. Of course the film could be read this way but I feel religious or political undertones are the in-essentials of this story. What is essential is the recognition of a little of ourselves in these characters that have been drawn so well, bitterness, regret, self-pity, greed, lust, bigotry but also love, sacrifice, forgiveness are all here in all characters and in more or less equal measure and depending on your point of view they have nothing to do with religion. In short no one in this movie seems constructed, they simply live and breath the way we all try to, the lesson if any is simply to admit to some or all of those qualities in ourselves and to try and live a little better.I start getting choked up about 20 minutes in and it goes all the way to the end. The guy who played Diggs is fabulous in sometimes understated role as a former slam dunk champion out of high school, I don't know if there's ever been a sports movie tour de force like this one. The dunking stuff is spot on, the music fantastic and the supporting cast (particularly the mother) is wonderful. My favorite moment, of many moments, is when the mother collapses and goes to the hospital. It's a feel good story with a somewhat slow introduction and it can be slow at times but you must be patient with this movie. Once it gets into the thick of things (the games) it really tenses up. It's rather hard to say anything that hasn't already been said about this film and it's easy to tell I'm one of this film's major fans. To me this is storytelling at its very best as the film manages to show why sports remain so powerful and how they can touch so many lives of people who came to the theater with me - CHICAGO BABY.Again, a truly mesmerizing movie that makes you feel good - WATCH SLAMMA JAMMA! BE PATIENT - BECAUSE ALL GOOD THINGS TAKE TIME