“This all started in a little gym with a linoleum floor on Maple Street.”
-Coach Dru
Believe it or not, More Than A Game is about more than LeBron James. This basketball documentary takes you on the journey of the St. Vincents/St. Mary high school basketball team also known as “The Fab Five.” LeBron James, Sian Cotton, Dru Joyce III, Willie McGee, and Romeo Travis embark on taking their small Akron,Ohio team into the big leagues by winning a National Championship.
More Than A Game is inspirational. These young men came from broken homes and poverty stricken neighborhoods, but they came together to form an elite squad. From Dru’s seven three point shots in one game to Romeo’s tough defense, these boys worked hard and played even harder. LeBron was not the only player with talent, all of the boys embodied something special.
However, More Than A Game is held back due to its total blind eye toward James’ antics to get into the NBA. It briefly touches on his controversy before he was drafted, but it doesn’t take it to the point where we would think anything bad about him. He is shown as an angel in More Than A Game, as a matter of fact he was “King James!” The documentary also does not answer the very obvious question of why none of the other players made it into the NBA. It doesn’t even attempt to capture the essence of education as a back-up plan in-case you don’t make it pro. In fact, I didn’t see one book in the entire movie.
It may have some flaws but More Than A Game is definitely a heart-warmer. It’s no Hoop Dreams, but it captures that inner child that might have been lost in time with the maturation of bills and rent. That inner child that once had those dreams of being the best basketball player alive, or dreamed of being the next Michael Jordan. More Than A Game makes you want to be great again!
All in all ~ Good Movie!
Watch it in theaters. The sounds of LeBron dunking on guys half his size and the sound of Dru’s three point shots going Swoosh are priceless.
Trailer:
