"LOTTERY TICKET" (2010) (Bow Wow, Brandon T. Jackson) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Moderate Moderate Extreme Mild Heavy Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate None Extreme Mild Heavy Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Extreme None Minor Heavy Heavy QUICK TAKE: Comedy: A recent inner city high school graduate must contend with the repercussions of winning the lottery but being unable to cash in the ticket for several days. PLOT: Kevin Carson (BOW WOW) is a recent high school graduate living in the projects of Atlanta. He dreams of one day designing his own line of athletic footwear, but feels he must take care of his Grandma (LORETTA DEVINE) with whom he lives, and thus is resigned to working in the mall shoe store when not hanging out with his friends Benny (BRANDON T. JACKSON) and Stacie (NATURI NAUGHTON). While Benny thinks Kevin is foolish to be an acquaintance of the heard but never seen recluse, Mr. Washington (ICE CUBE), Stacy isn't happy that Kevin -- along with most every boy in the neighborhood -- has eyes for the local sexpot, Nikki (TEAIRRA MARI). But they all know that recently paroled convict Lorenzo (GBENGA AKINNAGBE) is both no-good and a menace, especially to Kevin since he figures the young man should comp him and his thugs several pairs of expensive athletic shoes. That results in Lorenzo going back to jail, which is a good thing since Kevin --- who's against the lottery in principle because he thinks it takes advantage of the poor but is talked into buying one chance -- ends up holding the winning ticket. Kevin wants to keep that secret, especially since he can't cash it in for several days due to the long 4th of July holiday weekend, but that is spoiled right away. While Benny manages to keep his mouth shut, Grandma can't, and after she spills the beans to busybody Semaj (CHARLIE MURPHY), it's not long before everyone Kevin knows -- and doesn't know -- comes knocking. Among them is Reverend Taylor (MIKE EPPS) who'd like a better church, wife and lifestyle for himself, as well as local mobster Sweet Tee (KEITH DAVID) who assigns his hulking thug, Jimmy (TERRY CREWS), to watch over his new business partner, especially after "loaning" him $100,000. From that point on, things escalate out of control as everyone wants a piece of Kevin's $370 million pie, including Lorenzo when he's let back out of jail. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're fans of anyone in the cast or stereotypical urban comedies replete with caricatures and stereotypes, they might be interested in it. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For sexual content, language including a drug reference, some violence and brief underage drinking. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: BOW WOW plays a recent high school graduate who'd love to be an athletic shoe designer and go to school for that, but feels that he must help his grandmother (with whom he lives) and thus just works in the local shoe store. When he wins a huge lottery (that he normally wouldn't play and doesn't believe in, but was talked into it), he must contend with the ramifications of being unable to cash in over the long 4th of July holiday weekend, as well as the effect that pending money has on him, his friends, and enemies. He uses some profanity, ogles Nikki, and briefly fools around with her and, later, Stacie. BRANDON T. JACKSON plays his best friend who's excited about Kevin's winnings but manages to keep that to himself, although he's not pleased with what the money does to others or especially Kevin. He uses some profanity. NATURI NAUGHTON plays their down-to-Earth friend who's unhappy and repeatedly frustrated by Kevin having eyes for Nikki rather than her, although she nearly has sex with him. LORETTA DEVINE plays Kevin's grandmother who can't keep her mouth shut about the winnings, thus turning Kevin's life upside down. ICE CUBE plays a former boxing sparring partner for the famous turned long-time recluse whose only contact with the outside world is through Kevin. He ends up befriending and "coaching" him, uses brief strong profanity, and briefly beats up a bad guy. KEITH DAVID is the unofficial godfather of the projects, a wealthy loan shark who takes an interest in Kevin after the latter wins the lottery. He loans Kevin a lot of money, knowing the teen doesn't know what he's getting himself into, uses profanity, and shows his ugly side when things don't go the way he wants them to. TERRY CREWS plays his number one enforcer, a hulking man who isn't happy to be assigned to babysit Kevin, but lets loose when given the chance. CHARLIE MURPHY plays the neighborhood busybody who gets the lottery winning secret out of Grandma and then tells everyone. GBENGA AKINNAGBE plays the neighborhood thug and recent parolee who immediately goes back to his intimidating ways by picking on Kevin. After being sent back to jail for stealing shoes and trying to pin that on Kevin, he gets out and wants his revenge on the young man. He beats up and threatens various people. TEAIRRA MARI plays the local sexpot who every guy ogles, but she's only interested in those who have money and thus sets her sights on Kevin after he wins the lottery. She tries to get him to impregnate her and is upset when he refuses. MIKE EPPS plays the local reverend who uses a sermon to try to convince Kevin to give him his winnings so that he can have a better church building, wife and life for himself. 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: Here's a quick look at the content found in this comedy that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of at least 1 "f" word, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. Sexually related dialogue is present, as is related comedy. A scantily clad young woman sexually comes on to a young man (but only for his money), and then another does the same to him later, but they're interrupted before anything happens. At various points in the film, the camera ogles shapely young women just like the young men its POV represents. Violence includes people hitting or otherwise beating up others (some of which has bloody results), and those scenes and moments of peril (including threatening others with guns) could be unsettling to some viewers (despite being in a comedy) . Bad attitudes are present, as is potentially imitative behavior, while drinking occurs (including by underage teens) and some drug-related comments are made. Some crude humor is present. 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's some bouncy camera footage as Kevin flees those who want a piece of his lottery pie (played lightly), and then more during another foot chase. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE There's a TV news story about lottery ticket sales taking place in various places, including liquor stores (and we see the title sign of one several times). During that story, one man states that if he won, he'd get "drunk as hell." Grandma celebrates Kevin's lottery victory by herself, dancing around while holding a bottle of wine. Benny briefly mentions drug dealers in their neighborhood. Miscellaneous people have beer in Grandma's house in an impromptu party. Various teens drink inside a limo. Benny carries a bottle of champagne over to a young woman in a restaurant while trying to hit on her. Mr. Washington talks about the drug dealers in the neighborhood. Mr. Washington refers to Lorenzo as a "premature crack baby felon." People drink beer at a street party. BLOOD/GORE Semaj asks Kevin or Benny why they're so fidgety, wondering if he has to "pee-pee." Kevin awkwardly tries to make small talk with Nikki, but she hands him a small bag of her dog's poop instead. Benny then says Kevin was supposed to get a date, not doo-doo. Stacie, seeing through Nikki suddenly being interested in Kevin, refers to her as a "bitch." She reminds him that yesterday she handed him a bag of "sh*t," and that today "she wants to screw you." Mr. Washington informs Kevin that he can hear most everything on the street through his vent, but less so when he's "taking a dump" when he can't hear much. Sweet Tee tells a story (to warn Kevin about what might happen to him) about cutting off one's legs at the kneecaps, grinding that up, and feeding that to his dogs. Kevin then tells Sweet Tee he's never heard someone throw up like he's going to throw up (but he doesn't). Kevin has a bloody lip and then mouth after Lorenzo punches him, and he then spits out some blood and then some more. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE About what he'd do if he won the lottery, a guy is asked if he'd dump his girlfriend and he replies that he would. Kevin, Benny and Semaj talk about some young woman with a "big booty." At other points in the film, they and others ogle shapely young women (with the camera showing such bodies in close-up). Despite having never met him, Benny thinks the reclusive Mr. Washington is a serial killer. Kevin awkwardly tries to make small talk with Nikki, but she hands him a small bag of her dog's poop instead. Benny then says Kevin was supposed to get a date, not doo-doo. Lorenzo acts menacingly toward Kevin and Benny, refers to one or both as "bitch" and then makes sexual/violent innuendo about what he'd do to guys like them in his prison cell (snuggling up, squeezing them, etc.) all while squeezing a basketball hard enough to make it pop. Lorenzo (who's black) uses the term "n*gger." Lorenzo and some thugs arrive at the shoe store where Kevin works, have him get them several pairs each, and then want him to comp them. Some cops then arrive and press the thugs against the store glass, with Lorenzo telling Kevin that he's a dead man. Despite Kevin telling Grandma not to let anyone know he won the lottery, she tells Semaj who then tells everyone else. Various people become Kevin's new friends (or closer ones) once he wins the lottery. Stacie, seeing through Nikki suddenly being interested in Kevin, refers to her as a "bitch." Benny dumps money onto Kevin's former boss at the shoe store as a means of dissing him while they buy a lot of expensive shoes. Nikki comes on to Kevin sexually, but only because he's the lottery winner. When he wants to use protection, she gets mad, as she wants him to father a baby with her (so she'll have more claim to the money). Knowing lottery winner Kevin is in attendance, a preacher goes on about how he needs a new church, home and wife (bad-mouthing his ex and her looks in the process). Lorenzo suddenly punches Kevin and steals his lottery ticket. Sweet Tee loans a lot of money to Kevin for a buying spree, but does so in a loan shark fashion (and thus wants that back as well as his cut of the lottery winnings). FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence" may be unsettling and/or suspenseful to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material, but most everything is played under the umbrella of intended comedy. Mr. Washington invites Kevin down into his home, but since Kevin has never been there, he's a bit nervous as he follows Mr. Washington who suddenly turns and mock-attacks him, but only to prove that Kevin needs to know how to defend himself. GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns: Carried and/or used to threaten others. See "Violence" for details. About Benny telling Lorenzo that Kevin will get him and his thugs some expensive athletic shoes, Kevin tells Benny that he (Benny) might as well have put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger. A neighborhood guy, who Kevin knows but isn't buddy-buddy with, aims a handgun at various people, including Stacie, as he suddenly takes on the role of his (unwanted) bodyguard. SPOILER ALERT: We later learn the realistic looking handgun is just a water pistol. Some of Sweet Tee's guards carry machine guns, while Jimmy has a handgun in the front waistband of his pants. About his past, Mr. Washington states he was shot in his "ass." While Sweet Tee chats with Kevin in the backseat, Benny finds a handgun in the glove compartment. When Lorenzo crashes a neighborhood street party, a young man holds his handgun on him, and says "Before I bust a cap in your ass." Lorenzo then dares him to shoot, so the guy does and it's just a water pistol. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "You just got knocked the f*ck out," "Oh sh*t," "Bag of sh*t," "(You hit me with this) Bull-sh*t," "That's pretty gnarly sh*t," "Freak" (sexual), "That ass is priceless," "You're a baller now," "Hit that" (sexual), "I would get drunk as hell," "Get out of my face," "Smuts" (what Benny calls young women), "(Oh) Hell no," "Get your ass..." "Big booty," "How the hell do you get this gossip?" "He's a lunatic," "Dude," "Who the hell eats beef jerky?" "Hell yeah," "Son of a bitch," "What the hell /is wrong with you/are those?" "Get your ass over here," "Bitch" (man), "Negro," "N*gger," "Shut up," "You little bitch," "Will beat the black off me," "What up, bitches?" "Damn, she's fine," "Hell yeah," "Wild ass," "Hell no," "Broke-ass Cosby kids," "I'm from a little town called whoop ass," "Wish a nigga would," "Bitch gotta get paid," "They shot me in my ass," "I'm dead ass serious," "Losing my damn mind," "You acted like an ass," "Chill out," "Before I bust a cap in your ass" and "Punk ass." A miscellaneous guy has tattoos. Benny has tattoos. We see Lorenzo shirtless and he sports various tattoos. Lorenzo acts menacingly toward Kevin and Benny, refers to one or both as "bitch" and then makes sexual/violent innuendo about what he'd do to guys like them in his prison cell (snuggling up, squeezing them, etc.) all while squeezing a basketball hard enough to make it pop. Grandma throws holy water onto Kevin. A store owner has tattoos. Kevin and Benny dive through an open window to elude those who want a piece of Kevin's lottery pie (played lightly). A neighborhood guy, who Kevin knows but isn't buddy-buddy with, aims a handgun at various people, including Stacie, as he suddenly takes on the role of his (unwanted) bodyguard. SPOILER ALERT: We later learn the realistic looking handgun is just a water pistol. Kevin and his friends go an extravagant buying spree after Sweet Tee loans Kevin $100,000. Jimmy slaps a young woman on her clothed butt. Kevin slides down an escalator hand-grip railing and then dives into a subway car. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) An extreme amount of suspenseful and ominous music (some of it played lightly) occurs at various points in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) A song had what sounded like sexually related lyrics (during a shot of young women walking along in tight/revealing attire), but we didn't catch any specific lyrics. A song includes the use of "damn" or "G-damn." Other songs had lyrics that we couldn't fully hear and/or understand, thus presenting the possibility of them potentially containing something objectionable. PROFANITY At least 1 "f" word, 17 "s" words, 2 slang terms for sex ("screw" and "hit that"), 1 incomplete one for female genitals ("p*ssy"), 24 asses, 24 damns, 17 hells, 2 S.O.B.s, 6 uses of "Jesus," 2 each of "G-damn" and "Oh Lord" and 1 use each of "Oh my God" and "Swear to God." SEX/NUDITY Various guys ogle an attractive and shapely woman (who shows cleavage), with the camera showing a close-up view of her clothed butt. We see miscellaneous cleavage. About what he'd do if he won the lottery, a guy says he'd order a mail-order bride. Benny refers to attractive young women as "smuts" and starts to say that Kevin isn't getting any "pu..." but stops saying what's presumably "p*ssy" due to Grandma being there. Kevin, Benny and Semaj talk about some young woman with a "big booty." Stacie shows some cleavage. Kevin and Benny ogle Nikki and two other young women walking along in tight/revealing attire (we see a close-up of cleavage and the camera goes up their bodies, etc.). A song had what sounded like sexually related lyrics (the above scene), but we didn't catch any specific lyrics. We see Lorenzo shirtless and he sports various tattoos. Lorenzo acts menacingly toward Kevin and Benny, refers to one or both as "bitch" and then makes sexual/violent innuendo about what he'd do to guys like them in his prison cell (snuggling up, squeezing them, etc.) all while squeezing a basketball hard enough to make it pop. Stacie shows some cleavage. A product poster in a store shows a woman in a sexy pose, with her bare back exposed. A TV reporter shows cleavage. We see miscellaneous cleavage and a guy states about her, "Damn, she's fine." A convenience store owner makes some sort of joke about what sounded like him equating something else to when white dudes punch holes in your condoms. Grandma celebrates Kevin's lottery victory by herself, dancing around while holding a bottle of wine. Semaj then enters her place and dances close behind her, initially unbeknownst to her. About Kevin winning the lottery, Semaj tells him they should go to a strip club, while another guy mentions something about massage toys. We see Benny in just his boxers. Benny makes a comment about Kim Kardashian's "ass" being white. About wanting to get on Kevin's good side after learning of his lottery win, a guy informs Kevin that his (the guy's) sister is a sexual freak. Another woman states she wants to have Kevin's baby, prompting another man to state he's been trying to get her pregnant for a long time. Stacie shows cleavage in another scene. Nikki, now attracted to Kevin only because he won the lottery, comes on to him while wearing a midriff-revealing top. A male bystander watches this and makes a butt-slapping gesture. Nikki tells Kevin that later he can keep her company (suggestively) and grabs his clothed butt before leaving, while someone comments about her: "That ass is priceless." Stacie, seeing through Nikki suddenly being interested in Kevin, refers to her as a "bitch." She reminds him that yesterday she handed him a bag of "sh*t," and that today "she wants to screw you." A guy informs Kevin that the latter, due to now being the lottery winner, is a "baller." Jimmy's shirt is open, revealing his bare chest. Jimmy slaps a young woman on her clothed butt. We see Nikki in a small, cleavage revealing dress. About their meal, Nikki starts to tell Kevin that if he thinks the food is tender, warm and juicy, but then whispers the rest in his ear, exciting him. We next see them in a bedroom where she stands in her sexy bra and panties, and then climbs on all fours onto Kevin. She passionately kisses him, grinds away on top of him, and tears his shirt open. He then pulls out a wrapped condom, but she tells him he doesn't need that. He says he isn't ready to be a father, thus ruining her plan, with her complaining that after he won the lottery all she hears is "condom, condom, condom." She then gets up, states that her body is her lottery ticket and (about herself), "Bitch gotta get paid." Stacie refers to Nikki as a "no-class, gold-digging bitch" and thinks that Kevin had sex with her, and thus comments on him telling his boys (friends) that he "hit that." We then see Kevin and Stacie passionately kiss, and then be in the bedroom, with him shirtless and his boxers visible with his pants partially down, while she's in a camisole (or similar) and panties. She then retrieves a condom, with him half-jokingly asking how many dudes she has had up in there. But a voice call from her mom interrupts them and she scrambles to get up. SMOKING None. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Kevin lives with his grandmother, but we never hear what happened to his parents. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT The lottery and whether it (and other forms of gambling) take advantage of poor people. How money changes people (those who have it as well as those who want a piece of the pie). Kevin putting his dreams (of designing shoes and going to school for that) on hold due to thinking he must help Grandma. There's a brief comment about the slave-based underground railroad from the past. People who turns into recluses. Mr. Washington being a former sparring partner for famous boxers. VIOLENCE A neighbor girl slaps a neighbor guy on the head. Lorenzo squeezes a basketball hard enough to pop it (implying violence he'll inflict on Kevin). Lorenzo and some thugs arrive at the shoe store where Kevin works, have him get them several pairs each, and then want him to comp them. Some cops then arrive and press the thugs against the store glass, with Lorenzo telling Kevin that he's a dead man. About his past, Mr. Washington states he was shot in his "ass." Lorenzo grabs and pins Kevin back against a wall, but Jimmy shows up, punches Lorenzo's two thugs, and then holds his handgun to Lorenzo's head. Lorenzo knows, however, that Jimmy has never shot anyone and thus grabs and bends Jimmy's arm and then repeatedly punches him (he may also cold-cock him with the gun). Lorenzo knocks a man aside while chasing Kevin. Kevin shoves Benny, followed by him shoving Kevin back. Lorenzo suddenly punches Kevin and steals his lottery ticket. Kevin decides he's had enough and goes looking for Lorenzo to fight for his lottery ticket, but he knocks down the wrong guy. Sweet Tee punches Lorenzo in the gut and throws him onto a table that collapses. Thinking he's won, he stands over him, but Lorenzo suddenly grabs him hard by the clothed crotch, squeezes hard (causing lots of pain) and then punches him. Lorenzo then punches Kevin, bloodying his mouth, and then punches him again. Kevin misses with a return punch, and Lorenzo grabs him by the throat and punches him again and then holds his handgun on Kevin. Mr. Washington punches Lorenzo hard, knocking him out. Reviewed August 3, 2010 / Posted August 20, 2010

Privacy Statement and Terms of Use and Disclaimer
By entering this site you acknowledge to having read and agreed to the above conditions.

All Rights Reserved,
©1996-2012 Screen It, Inc.