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"ROLL BOUNCE" (2005) (Bow Wow, Chi McBride) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Mild Minor Heavy None *None Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Heavy None None Moderate Moderate Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Heavy None Heavy Heavy Mild QUICK TAKE: Drama: A teenager must deal with family and girl issues as he and his friends prepare to compete in a roller-skating dance-off in 1970s era Chicago. PLOT: It's the summer of 1978 in Chicago and Xavier Smith (BOW WOW), or "X" as he's called, likes to hang out with his friends Mixed Mike (KHLEO THOMAS), Naps (RICK GONZALEZ), Boo (MARCUS T. PAULK) and Junior (BRANDON T. JACKSON) at the local roller rink when not interacting with garbage men Byron (MIKE EPPS) and Victor (CHARLIE MURPHY). But Mike's adolescent life is going through major upheavals. There's the standard girl issue where he likes but isn't sure how to act around the alluring Naomi (MEAGAN GOOD), much to the chagrin of his new friend and neighbor Tori (JURNEE SMOLLETT). His mom has recently died, leaving his dad Curtis (CHI McBRIDE) to try to maintain the status quo raising X and his younger sister all while dealing with Tori's sexy mom Vivian (KELLITA SMITH). And then there's the fact that the Palisades Gardens roller rink, which has served as his home away from home, is closing its doors. That forces X and his south-side buddies to have to head to the north of town to skate at the far swankier Sweetwater Roller Rink that's managed by Bernard (NICK CANNON). There, the undisputed skating champion is Sweetness (WESLEY JONATHAN) who, along with his skating team that includes the likes of Troy (PAUL WESLEY), looks down on outsiders such as X and his friends. As X tries to deal with all of the changes in his life, he and his friends prepare to challenge Sweetness and his team in a skate-off with the city bragging rights at stake. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Some teens might be interested in it, as might those who are fans of Bow Wow or anyone else in the cast. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For some sexual references, crude humor and brief drug material. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: BOW WOW plays a teenager whose life is going through major upheavals, most notably the death of his mom and the teen's dissatisfaction with his father. He uses some profanity, isn't sure how to act around Naomi, and competes against Sweetness for bragging rights regarding skating. CHI McBRIDE plays his now widowed dad who tries to maintain false pretenses of a normal family life while secretly looking for employment. He's a bit distant with X and must deal with come-ons by the likes of Vivian. WESLEY JONATHAN plays the north side's roller rink champion who's talented but full of himself as he takes on X as his challenger. KHLEO THOMAS plays X's friend whose parents are racially mixed. He helps him compete against Sweetness and his team. RICK GONZALEZ, MARCUS T. PAULK and BRANDON T. JACKSON play the rest of their friends who enjoy cutting down each other and outsiders such as Tori. JURNEE SMOLLETT plays the new and sweet girl in the neighborhood who hangs out with X and his friends despite some of them making fun of her dental braces. MEAGAN GOOD plays the girl from X's past who returns to the picture, confusing him about how to react. PAUL WESLEY plays Sweetness' right-hand skater who looks down on X and his friends. KELLITA SMITH plays Tori's sexy, divorced mom who comes on to Curtis. MIKE EPPS and CHARLIE MURPHY play the local garbage men who are cutups and make sexual remarks about women. NICK CANNON plays the manager of the roller rink who makes out with a girl while on the job. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this dramedy that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of at least 3 "s" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are uttered. Sexually related dialogue and song lyrics are heard in several scenes, various males ogle women (and the camera focuses on their clothed butts and cleavage), and some men are seen shirtless or with their shirts open (for sexual effect). Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, including a boy who bashes his father's car with a baseball bat while mad at him. That stems from tense family moments between them that originate in the previous death of the boy's mother/the father's wife. Other bad attitudes are also present, as is all sorts of potentially imitative behavior. Some skating falls and slapstick style material are present, as is some drinking, a brief drug related comment and some verbally-based crude humor. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there are some spin around camera shots in the film. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE There's talk that a liquor store might be built on the spot of the old roller rink. A comment is made that if a man loses his job, he'll be selling dimes and nicks on the street (a drug reference). Miscellaneous adults drink at a party where a woman brings a beer over to Curtis, but he doesn't drink any of it. BLOOD/GORE Crude humor includes the garbage men briefly talking about tampons and other things being on the street; a guy uses some slang term (something like "boobly-doo") about what a guy did on himself while facing Sweetness (a crude humor joke about defecation); and a person jokes about someone or something looking like a "skid mark" (a fecal matter in underpants reference). DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE The camera focuses on a teenage girl's clothed butt and X and his friends slap her on it when they pass by. Bryon, Victor and X stare (and ogle with their mouths open) at a woman's clothed butt as she's bent over (some comment about what sounded like "Duncan Hinds" -- presumably about her rear end -- is made). Other such ogling occurs later in the film. Bryon kicks a trash can across the street. Various kids chase after and throw water balloons at X as he delivers papers. One of the boys constantly makes fun of Tori and her braces (in her mouth), joking about the silverware drawer exploding in her mouth, Amtrak calling and wanting their tracks back and a bit about heavy metal. Later, he calls her "Jaws." A competing skate crew has a bad attitude toward X. X calls a rival Asian skater "Kung Fu" after he and others make fun of X. One of the guys states that a male skater (who does ice skating type moves) "Looks fruity" because of that. Tori's mom lets Curtis have it over driving the kids to the skating rink (she later apologizes for her actions and words). X has a bad attitude toward his dad (and even bashes his car with a baseball bat) for being an emotionally distant father. The competing skating team continues to have bad attitudes toward X and his friends, even making fun of them being lower income. Sweetness has a condescending and bad attitude toward X. FRIGHTENING SCENES None. GUNS/WEAPONS None, but there's talk that a gun shop might be built on the spot of the old roller rink. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Oh sh*t," "Piece of sh*t," "Check your package...a little fruit hanging out of your loom," "Let's get this mothersucker started," "This is jacked up," "Nigger" (said by black characters), "Ug-mug," "Chick," "Old ass," "Get your butt out here," "What the..?" "Little punks," "Damn" (said in a long, drawn out and exaggerated fashion), "Yuck mouth," "Baddest mofo," "Fool," "Home boy," "Oh hell no," "Make your balls fall off," "Funky," "Dang," "Honeys" and "Chicks" (women), "Loser" (coughed out), "What the hell was that?" "Hell no," "Shut up," "Pot to piss in," "Kick ass," "Purple panties," "Fro-magnum," "He looks fruity," "Big old Fat Albert look alike," "Clown," "Looking like a skid mark," "Big eared butt," "Chomper," "I smell money," "Idiot," "I was trippin,'" "Psych," "Chicks will freak," "Where's my afro-disiac?" "Put up or shut up," "Put my foot right up their asses," "Chill out punk," "Sucker," "Chump," "You couldn't spank me if your hands were glued to my ass" and "You just bought yourself an ass-whooping." The roller skating stunts and dancing might be enticing for some kids to imitate. A deejay has tattoos. The camera focuses on a teenage girl's clothed butt and X and his friends slap her on it when they pass by. The boys playfully put down each other on various occasions. Bryon kicks a trash can across the street. Various kids chase after and throw water balloons at X as he delivers papers. They later attack Tori with water balloons. X gives "the finger" to kids who were throwing water balloons at him. X has to jump over a car that's suddenly in his path. One of the boys constantly makes fun of Tori and her braces (in her mouth), joking about the silverware drawer exploding in her mouth, Amtrak calling and wanting their tracks back and a bit about heavy metal. Later, he calls her "Jaws." Tori wears a midriff-revealing top. X calls a rival Asian skater "Kung Fu" after he and others make fun of X. The competing team pulls down Junior's pants in the roller rink, leaving him in his small briefs, with others laughing at him for that. Tori flicks her hand off the bottom of her chin as a put-down gesture to a guy. Curtis jokes that one of X's friends ears are so big that he probably heard the sun come up that morning. While mad at his dad putting all of his attention toward his car rather than his kids, X takes a baseball bat and bashes the car with it, smashing the window, headlights, hood and windshield (to express his anger/frustration at his dad). Naomi wears a midriff revealing top as do others. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) None. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) The song "Love to love you baby" has some pleasured moaning sounds in it along with a line "Do it to me again and again" that could be construed as sexual. A song has the lyric, "I'm your boogie man...turn me on." The song "Fire" has lyrics about "When you shake what you got, and girl you got a lot" and "When you're hot, you're hot, you really shoot your shot" Other such potentially sexual lyrics are in that song that plays during a skate-off competition. PROFANITY At least 3 "s" words (and another incomplete one), 2 slang term for male genitals ("package" and "fruit"), 13 damns, 7 asses, 4 hells, 1 crap and 1 use each of "Oh God" and "Swear to God." SEX/NUDITY The camera focuses on a teenage girl's clothed butt and X and his friends slap her on it when they pass by. Victor jokes that they'll become male prostitutes if they loose their jobs. Bryon, Victor and X stare (and ogle with their mouths open) at a woman's clothed butt as she's bent over (some comment about what sounded like "Duncan Hines" or "Hinds" -- presumably about her rear end -- is made). She also wears a halter top that shows cleavage. Victor tells X to "Check your package," adding that there's "a little fruit hanging out of your loom" (referring to X in his boxers). Guys stare at a girl's clothed butt in passing. Hearing the name of the Bee Gees, one of the guys jokes that sounds like something you catch from your girlfriend and that make "your balls fall off." We see Bernard making out with a girl behind the roller rink counter. The song "Love to love you baby" has some pleasured moaning sounds in it along with a line "Do it to me again and again" that could be construed as sexual. The camera focuses on Naomi's clothed butt. We often see Sweetness with his shirt open, showing off his muscular build. We see various female teens in tight shorts. Naomi shows some cleavage. The competing team pulls down Junior's pants in the roller rink, leaving him in his small briefs, with others laughing at him for that. Bernard tells Naps that the ladies of the roller rink like "a guy with a big...skate." Tori mentions her mom earlier being the one not wearing a bra under her top. We see Sweetness with his shirt open again. Naomi shows a little cleavage. The camera focuses on a woman's clothed butt with Byron making various bits of sexual innuendo about her, including taming that wild kingdom and something about hammer that wild cat (or something like that). We see some miscellaneous cleavage. One of the boys jokes about being happy his mom got her tubes tied (about him not being a big brother). Some sort of joking comment is made about not knowing whether to sleep with or do something with someone or something else. We see Bernard wearing just an open vest over his bare chest. Tori's mom shows a little cleavage. X kisses Naomi. A deejay jokes "Where's my afro-disiac?" When the musical group the Bee Gees are brought up again, one of the guys says his cousin got that already (joking about the name sounding like "VD"). To go along with a drum roll, a young woman shakes her clothed butt for a deejay. After Sweetness tells X "You couldn't spank me if your hands were glued to my ass," X mockingly says "That sounds sweet." The song "Fire" has lyrics about "When you shake what you got, and girl you got a lot" and "When you're hot, you're hot, you really shoot your shot" Other such potentially sexual lyrics are in that song that plays during a skate-off competition. Sweetness rips his shirt off while competing against X. Naomi and X passionately kiss, while Tori and one of X's friends do the same. SMOKING None. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Curtis tells X that it's just them now that X's mom is gone (dead). Tori states that her dad lives in Atlanta with his new wife who's white. X's younger sister asks him what their mom was like. About his roller skating, X tells his dad that his (X's) mom didn't think it was crazy. We hear that Curtis' wife died two weeks before Christmas. We learn (as does X) that Curtis is unemployed and has been keeping up the pretenses of having a job when he's been searching for one. We hear that Curtis had to sell the family car for money and X isn't happy about this. X then confronts his dad about that and being unemployed, calling him a fake. Curtis thinks this all has to do with his wife's death, telling X "The sooner you let her go" and the two then argue about that. That includes X telling Curtis that he hangs out with his car more than his son. X then takes a baseball bat and bashes the car with it, smashing the window, headlights, hood and windshield (to express his anger/frustration at his dad). Curtis later apologizes to his son for the way he's been acting, saying he forgot X was hurting too. We see Curtis crying while looking through a family photo album. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Dealing with deaths in the family (in this case, the mother, before the story starts). Pursing one's dreams and/or following one's pursuits. Dealing with people making fun of others (in this case, one of the boy repeatedly cracks on Tori's dental braces while some rich kids look down on X and his friends from the poorer section of the city). We hear that one of the black boys has a white mother, but one of the boys jokes that she has the body of a black woman. As X delivers newspapers, they fly and land everywhere, including hitting some people by accident. Tori states that her dad lives in Atlanta with his new wife who's white. We learn (as does X) that Curtis is unemployed and has been keeping up the pretenses of having a job when he's been searching for one. The comment that the world is full of problems and that everyone has them. The references made to venereal diseases (made upon mistaking the Bee Gees for VD). VIOLENCE Various young women struggle over a towel that Sweetness has used. Tori does some slipping and falling on skates (played for slapstick). Curtis slips on a skateboard left on the steps and falls off them, breaking the railing in the process. X falls on the road while rehearsing his skating moves. While mad at his dad putting all of his attention toward his car rather than his kids, X takes a baseball bat and bashes the car with it, smashing the window, headlights, hood and windshield (to express his anger/frustration at his dad). X takes a bad fall during a skate-off with Sweetness (but is okay). Reviewed August 23, 2005 / Posted September 23, 2005

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