National Champions

Writer Adam Mervis put out a pretty good plot on this one. The flick was interesting with little dead time. But the ending was abrupt. It felt like they just ran out of money, or couldn't think of a way to end the movie. What a let-down! At least they have room for a sequel. But kudos to Adam Mervis for an original plot and near-real storyline. Director Rick Roman Waugh did a good job getting interesting and believable performances from his actors, but the continuity needed some polishing. Some scene cuts and actor emotional transitions were a little confusing. Kudos for the producers choosing to shoot in New Orleans, where they could use the money influx.

8/10 - despite some clunky dialogue/story elements and me knowing next to nothing about college football, this fascinating dramatization of the ongoing NCAA debate is truly gripping and is empowered by the fantastic acting performances of Stephan James, J. K. Simmons, and most of all, Uzo Aduba (who in another universe would be Oscar-nominated for this emotionally riveting performance)

This is what you'd call a dialogue movie, and not half bad. The main gripes I have are wasting Jeffrey Donovan's talents, the horrid acting of the main character "LeMarcus", and the insanely bad overemotional acting on the black woman who was some sort of fixer. Each time someone questioned her she'd freak out, just waaaay overboard. JK Simmons as usual excellent performance wasn't enough to make up for this lady.

It would be a good storyline if it is based on true story. Then it is interesting to see what is going on in those private meetings. However, if it is not based on the true story..... the script is kind of okay.

National Champions (2021) is a sports drama movie directed by Ric Roman Waugh that is based on the play of the same name and it follows a star quarterback who ignites a players strike hours before the biggest game of the year in order to fight for fair compensation, equality and respect for the student athletes. This movie was a first time watch for me and it was pretty okay.

Positives for National Champion (2021): The story is actually quite interesting for the most part. You have a great cast with Stephan James, J. K. Simmons, Alexander Ludwig, Lil Rel Howery, Tim Blake Nelson, Andrew Bachelor, Jeffrey Donovan, David Koechner, Kristin Chenoweth and Timothy Olyphant. There is a nice exploration with these characters and their journeys. I also like the gritty approach to the story that works well enough. And finally, the story feels relevant in the year 2025 as they are people fight for their rights.

Negatives for National Champion (2021): The execution is very bland and boring. The movie is just people talking about stuff and it gets boring very quickly. I don't understand what the movie is trying to do with its story. And finally, the movie is so slow paced with the story and it takes forever to get to the point of what is happening.

Overall, National Champion (2021) is an okay sports drama movie with a great story that gets lost in the execution and it left me feeling very disappointed.