Not Spikes best, far from his worst

Rating: Null/10 (13 June 2006)

I thought Spike was very careful, maybe too careful in trying not to duplicate the movie 'Blue Chips'. The big risk he took in this movie was fictionalizing something that is not all that fictional in the recruitment of inner-city youths - that is, the family issues, the pressure of sudden notoriety, and the pressure from recruiters that these kids face. Personally, I thought he displayed this pretty accurately, while others I know who have seen this movie thought that much of it was far fetched, especially that a governor would be involved. Still, everyone I have talked to about this movie was impressed with Ray Allen's performance. If you're not a Spike Lee fan to begin with, nor have ever been through the college recruiting process, this movie won't make you a Spike Lee fan. If you are a Spike Lee fan or have been recruited, it's easy to believe the story line.