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"SLAMMA JAMMA"
(2017) (Chris Staples, Alexia Hall) (PG)


Read Our Full Content Movie Review for Parents

QUICK TAKE:
Drama: A former college basketball star tries to get his life back in order after serving six years in prison for armed robbery.
PLOT:
Michael Diggs (CHRIS STAPLES) was once the best college basketball player in the country with millions of dollars awaiting him, his mother, Gemma (ROSEMARIE SMITH-COLEMAN), and his girlfriend, Lisa (ALEXIA HALL) -- not to mention his agent-in-waiting, Terrell (MICHAEL IRVIN) -- once he turned pro. But that never happened as accepting $1,000 to show up in a gun store with another man resulted in him unwittingly being an accomplice to armed robbery and murder. Despite him being innocent, the evidence looked bad and he was sentenced to six years in prison during which he cut off all contact with Lisa.

Now that he's out, he's learned that she's dating his former teammate turned NBA pro, Craig Jackson (GARY SMITH), and that his younger brother, Taye (KELSEY CAESAR), is hanging out with some gun runner gang members. Michael wants no part of that life and tries to make ends meet doing menial jobs, all while helping Pastor Soul (RAY WALIA) restore an old, dilapidated church. He also returns to the basketball courts and befriends the likes of Jerome (RYAN GUNNARSON) and Brandon (MICHAEL HARDY) who convince him he should enter a slam dunk competition.

He eventually does and ends up competing against the likes of slam dunk champion Jammer (JUSTIN DARLINGTON), all while trying to keep Taye out of trouble and get his own life back in order and on track.

OUR TAKE: 2 out of 10
This section will be expanded later today, but this is a very amateurish production that might sport a polished veneer (courtesy of cinematographer Dean Cundey who also shot the likes of "Jurassic Park" and "Back to the Future" in the past) and some decent slam dunking, but otherwise feels like an elongated after-school special about the perils of bad choices.



Reviewed March 23, 2017 / Posted March 24, 2017


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