UNCLE DREW: Fun Basketball Comedy Delivers Easy Laughs & Lots Of Heart
Is Uncle Drew the best movie based on a TV commercial in cinematic history?
If you’re not familiar with the origins of this odd little summer movie project, let me fill in the gaps. A few years ago, NBA star Kyrie Irving played a character named Uncle Drew under heavy makeup in a Pepsi ad. The clip became a mini-sensation and instantly went viral, generating huge laughs from the mere visual of a geriatric player outplaying young guys. Somehow, there’s now a feature-length movie based on this ad. That’s it. That’s the backstory.
On paper, Uncle Drew seems like a recipe for disaster. What’s next, a movie about the Progressive insurance salesman? Against all odds, director Charles Stone III‘s goofy basketball comedy is a nice bit of fun, delivering easy laughs and charming performances without breaking a sweat.
From a cinematographic perspective, the film weirdly looks uglier than the ad itself. But nobody’s coming to Uncle Drew for Roger Deakins-esque aesthetics, so if you can get over the visual blandness of the project, this is a joyful and breezy journey. With a crowd-pleasing setup, hilarious performances and a much-needed sense of simplicity, Uncle Drew delivers in an unexpected and hilarious way.
Return Of A Street Ball Legend
More than anything else in the world, Dax (Lil Rel Howery) wants to win the Rucker Classic, a famous street ball tournament in New York where legends are born. The Rucker comes with a $100,000 purse, but it will also bring redemption for Dax, who had his shot blocked in a pivotal game as a young orphan.
Now set to face off against Mookie (Nick Kroll), the man who blocked him, Dax needs to win the Rucker to prove his worth to himself and his wealthy girlfriend (Tiffany Haddish). Too bad he doesn’t have a team. Despite his best efforts, Dax’s best chance at a title switches sides, leaving him with zero talent whatsoever.
During his search to form a team, Dax hears whispers about the myth of Uncle Drew (Irving), the man who changed the game forever. After a coincidental encounter, Dax convinces the veteran to lead his team to the promised land. Drew has only one request: my team, my rules. This kicks off a road trip across America, as Uncle Drew searches for his teammates who went their separate ways long ago after infighting tore their friendships apart.
Even as these former legends hop in the back of Drew’s van, there’s no guarantee that they’ll win a title. Preacher (Chris Webber) hasn’t played the game in ages, Lights (Reggie Miller) can barely see, Boots (Nate Robinson) is in a wheelchair, and Big Fella (Shaquille O’Neal) hates Uncle Drew’s guts. This isn’t exactly a recipe for success. But if they can play as a team, Dax’s new squad has a chance at solidifying their place in history.
Simple Setup, Great Execution
Uncle Drew has no pretensions about what kind of movie it is, nor does it throw in needless subplots just for the sake of making things more complex. It’s a fairly basic road trip comedy mixed with a familiar underdog sports drama, and it presents character arcs that don’t exactly feature shocking revelations.
It goes for the easy laugh at almost every possible opportunity, weaving in a whole lot of old man humor, basketball jokes, and general PG-13 comedy material. All of this means that Uncle Drew should theoretically be too rote and predictable to work in a significant way.
Nonetheless, it succeeds thanks to a surprising and effective sense of simplicity, which makes for a refreshing respite from more complicated and emotionally weighty fare. Stone III and writer Jay Longino give the film a charming feeling of easy-going breeziness, a light touch that maintains the jovial spirit of this sports comedy.
The stakes are low, but they’re real, and the film has an uncanny knack for when to keep things light and when to take a rare turn into seriousness. The urban legend elements of Uncle Drew are a little shakier, but that’s to be expected in what basically plays like a parody of sports movies.
Likable Characters & Silly Jokes
Much of the film’s appeal lies in its excellent cast, many of whom had never acted in a major motion picture before. Kyrie Irving generates less laughs than his co-stars, but he clearly has fun imbuing Uncle Drew with a sense of mythological brilliance, which makes for a fun conflict with the character’s more unsavory personality traits.
He has a good deal of help from the other basketball stars in the cast, including the ever-hilarious Shaq and the unexpectedly strong duo of Chris Webber (there’s a great timeout joke that made howl with laughter) and Lisa Leslie. Beyond that, there are a few sharp supporting turns from a mostly-silent Nate Robinson and the hilarious Reggie Miller, as well as a memorable cameo or two.
Of course, there are a few comedy stars in addition to the NBA favorites. After his breakout performance in Get Out, Lil Rel Howery takes center stage here as the surprisingly sympathetic heart and soul of the film, an average Joe with a real love for both the game and his new family of oddballs. He also has the benefit of a great foil in Nick Kroll, who plays the gum-snapping, wide-eyed antagonist to perfection.
The film chugs right along with these amiable performers leading the way, unabashedly going for the low-hanging fruit at every possible opportunity. If that sounds like a negative, it ends up working in Uncle Drew‘s favor, keeping the proceedings grounded in a silliness that never fails to generate a chuckle or two. The jokes may be cheap and goofy, but there’s good fun to be had in a comedy that recognizes its own inherent stupidity.
Uncle Drew: Conclusion
Look, I can’t pretend that Uncle Drew is a particularly memorable time at the theater. Especially if you’re not familiar with these players or the original ad, Stone III‘s film basically offers a comedy with the look and feel of a TV sitcom.
But if anything, Uncle Drew is a testament to the power of self-awareness. This is a silly laugh riot with a wacky mythic foundation, delivering minor conflicts and a simple story within an appealing summer package. It never pretends to be anything else, and it looks like the entire cast and crew had an absolute blast making this, as indicated by the lengthy blooper reel. Maybe it’s just the low expectations that come with watching a movie based on a commercial, but I had a great time seeing these septuagenarian legends tear it up on the court.
What did you think of Uncle Drew? What is your favorite sports comedy? Let us know in the comments below!
Uncle Drew was released in the US on June 29, 2018 and the UK on July 6, 2018. For all international release dates, click here.
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