A pleasant surprise.

Rating: 8/10 (2 March 1999)

Lee's story of soon-to-be basket ball superstar, Jesus Shuttlesworth, as he is wooed by colleges, a conniving girlfriend, and his imprisoned father, is solid, funny, and entertaining. While his directing choices do not always work, Lee's script is amazing. The cast is excellent. Milla Jovovich gives a great performance in an utterly superfluous role which could have (and often does) popped up in any movie. Aaron Copland's self-conscious score jars against Lee's self-conscious directing. Public Enemy's excellent song would be more effective if it was limited to being played, say, less than ten times during the film.