Crossover

As of this point, I have done more reviews on IMDb than anyone. And, in recent months I've taken my love for foreign, classic and independent films and set it aside for a strange little obsession--bad films. I have made it a point to try to see as many of IMDb's Bottom 100 films as I can. There is no way I can see them all--a few are not available and some are simply not available in the US. During my little experiment, I have so far seen about 50 of the films and have noticed a trend. Many of these Bottom 100 are Black-American films and some are actually pretty good--such as "I Can Do Bad All By Myself", "Phat Girlz", "Feel the Noise" and this film. This leads me to wonder two things--either I like them because they appeal mostly to 45 year-old men like me or there are a lot of people out there that seem to have it in for films with Black casts--especially urban films. I can't say what is going on, but even if these are bad films (which they aren't in my opinion), there is no way they should be ranked lower than all the films of Ed Wood, Al Adamson or William Grefe. The difference between these Black-themed films and the ultra-low budget schlock films is enormous!

The film is about two young men, Tech and Cruise. Tech is a bit of a loser. Not a horrible person, but someone whose life seems to be going nowhere. Cruise, on the other hand, has a chance to play basketball for UCLA while he works on a Pre-Med degree. Two friends whose lives are going in opposite directions. However, just because things appear this way doesn't mean there won't be a lot of surprises on the way to the end of the film.

The film featured a lot of street-style basketball. And I have to be honest, basketball is among my least favorites sports to watch--right up there with golf and lacrosse! Yet despite this, the action was exciting and there was enough to the plot to keep me interested--especially in the lives of these men. The writing, while not great (there are a few clichés here and there--especially the one girlfriend and the need to tack on an epilogue during the credits), it is very good and kept me guessing. Also, there have been a few knocks about the acting--and I can't see why. Some jumped on Wayne Brady--who was not bad at all here. In fact, I just don't get all the hostility towards the movie. What's to hate about it?

someone asked? Hmm... Where should I start? Well, let's start with the blueprint: screenplay.

The dialogue was on-the-nose, predictable babbling about nothing. The jokes were even worse. The characters were less than one dimensional while accomplishing all sorts of inconsistencies, which attributed to outrageous behavior. I mean, at one point, the main character was just having a nervous breakdown for absolutely nothing, for the sake of drama. The plot was as believable as Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer. And even with the absurd plot, the writing failed to be original at all levels. I mean, we saw the same subplots done before in way more superior films like "White Men Can't Jump".

The directing was Amateur night at the Apollo. He did nothing with the camera or the blocking of the actors to make me believe he has an ounce of talent in his body. And the shots were so flat and uninteresting. I hope they shot the movie on HD. I'd hate to think one can make film stock look so bad.

The acting was the worst. Inappropriate and unjustified outbursts of anger, straight line readings off the page and so much wooden actions/reactions that it started to look like a smörgåsbord for termites.

And the basketball playing was terrible, even from the actors who are known for basketball, like Hot Sauce. They made a big mistake trying to pass off Anthony Mackie as some ballplayer. He looked uncomfortable with the basketball every time he touched it. I had a hard time watching him.

Uneventful montages. Glossy cinematography looking like someone's home VHS camera. Lame jokes. Inept editing.

You know when you have watched a bad film? When you're a passionate cinephile and after watching the film, it was so bad, you're left with a temporary bad taste in your mouth for movie making since the beginning of time. This film is that bad.

OK.. first of all Wayne Brady should be shot for doing so terrible! Johnathan Wesley should have had enough experience to do better than he did! I mean after all he did play "Sweetness" in Roll Bounce which was only a tad bit better! Eva The Winner from America's Next Top Model should definitely stick to modeling! Her acting was so bad, that it seems like she was joking! I guess winning an award for acting is out of the question! At least it is, based on this movie! LOL. The rest of the cast, I had never seen and hopefully I won't ever see again! This movies was awful! THe plot was weak!They all need to take more acting classes IMMEDIATELY! I barely made it through the movie! This movie should have been called CrossOUT!!!!

For all who have cried for quality urban film-making free from gangsta, thuggin, and drug related themes…keep looking.

Detroit is a city rich in culture, history, ethnicity and empowerment but in recent years has developed an unfortunate reputation that upsets many natives. Those with a voice, the politicians, the rappers, even the filmmakers try desperately to reverse that negative image much to their credit. Writer and Director Preston Whitmore II, a loyal patriot indeed, attempts an urban tale about street ball, dreams fulfilled, and dreams deferred. It seemed like every few minutes there was a needless montage of city landmarks that were not part of the storyline. A gimmick that seemed patronizing at best, insulting at worst. I too love my city and I understand patriotic sympathies. However, they simply have no place on the celluloid. If a filmmaker wants to show the good of the city make a good movie! But that was just part of my problem with Crossover. It wasn't dramatic enough to be taken seriously and not funny enough to be a comedy. The funniest thing in the movie was the main character Tech (Mackie) spending half the movie studying for his GED. The plot was mediocre and the acting simply ghastly. Wayne Brady (who said he could be a leading man?) has to prove he's black to all his critics and quite unconvincingly portrays Vaughn, part businessman, part thug who has more than a legitimate interest in street ball. The cookie monster is a scarier underworld figure. Wesley Jonathan who was absolutely priceless in Rollbounce was less than thrilling-- almost boring. And Eva Pigford's play acting of the femme fatal just ruined a character that might have been interesting.

Crossover (or Crapover as I was calling it by the end) was a film that probably looked good on paper but lost its focus somewhere between the pitch and the production. I often advise urban screenwriters to beware of this potential peril. It's a death sentence to the film, but more importantly it is another unwanted blemish on the genre of film that is blemished enough.

This movie was a Crossover that is for sure. I broke my ankle on purpose just to try and get through the painful story line and horrible streetball action. If you want to see streetball just rent the And1 Mix Tape tours, even though they are a jumble of random moves, they are still better action then Crossover. This acting was not good either. The character development and personalities are cliché. And why now is Wayne Brady trying to get this tough guy persona. Ever since the Chappelle show appearance he is now all of a sudden more sinister. All in all this was not a good movie, I guess you can tell from my vote 1 out of ten, and that is 1 is just because there is nothing lower.