Spike Lee's overcooked vanity project for his love of the game

Rating: Null/10 (11 November 1998)

More evidence that basketball stars should remain basketball stars, and to stay out of acting. Denzel Washington, in an implosive performance, literally acts circles around his untrained co-star, Ray Allen. While Allen's inept acting skills drag the film into moments of unintentional comedy, there is much to praise here. Lee's fabulous use of colors, underlined with Aaron Copland's amazing score, combines to create some excellent scenes. A sub-plot with a hooker (Jovovich) fails, but there are some serious father-son relations explored here. Watch for two extremely powerful moments: where Jesus goes for reality check cruise with Big Time, and his final showdown with his girlfriend Lala.