The Sixth Man

I saw this movie on a bus - a captive audience. The sound was too low and the screen was really small, but I still found it to be a touching comedy with a lot of heart. It was advertised as a zany "ghost basketball player haunts brother - wackiness ensues," when it is actually a strong story of the relationship between two brothers who grew up as best friends and teammates, and what happens when one of their lives is tragically cut short.

Kenny and Antoine are brothers raised on the basketball court – Kenny is the workhorse who has bigtime assists but it is Antoine that knocks them down. Playing college ball they both are on the verge of being solid draft picks at very least but a big game against UCLA brings tragedy when Antoine is badly hurt and dies on the way to the hospital. The team is devastated, naturally it hits Antoine the most and, although they all try to carry on, the team slides to a massive losing streak and Antoine is inconsolable. Until that is, Kenny gets some help from an unexpected source.

This is a strange film because it can't settle on what it wants to be and the resulting mix of tones doesn't work well. The first 30 minutes of the film is overly sentimental and played as if we are supposed to be emotionally involved with the brothers but then it immediately turns into a goofy, silly comedy where the laughs are all meant to come from unbelievable moves on the basketball court. In the early stages it is interesting enough but you do always sense that it is just looking to get to the ghost part and the joking. Once it gets there it becomes all about the effects and obvious "dunking from halfway" stuff; problem is it isn't funny and it stops the film having any sense of excitement or involvement in the games or the characters The cast don't help either. Wayans spends most of the film mugging, hoping that that will be enough. Hardison doesn't quite do that but he is all about the ghost jokes rather than the people. Michele is cute but her romantic section is unconvincing and unnecessary while support from Paymer, Dunn and others don't have much to do. The problem with them is not their performances so much as the fact that material isn't very good. Without laughs, characters or a decent story, it only is periodically amusing and certainly not worth hunting down as a sports movie, comedy or story. Die-hard fans of Wayans brand of mugging will maybe enjoy it but most people will see it for what it is – a very basic comedy.

This is one of my favorite movies. I saw it for the first time a couple years ago and I was laughing non stop! Marlon Wayons is an excellent actor and there is no way I could hate him. (Mumbles to myself) Except in Little Man. Yes I hated Little Man but this movie was an underrated winner. I loved the comedic breaks in this film and the dramatic pieces. All though I saw it a while ago, it comes on the Family Channel a lot so I stay up and watch it when it does. I was watching it last night just eating my chips when my dad came in. He started to watch it and didn't understand it. I explained the beginning to him and we kept watching. As the movie went on, me and my dad were laughing with each other and the great comedy in this. The dramatic parts were truly touching. The story was original and the movie stuck to the plot instead of going elsewhere into something totally different. Enjoy this film. It is really funny, entertaining, interesting, and original.

10/10

I thought this movie was hilarious! Marlon Wayans is a great comedian. In fact all the Wayans brothers are funny. They have a great talent for comedy. I would recommend this movie to all my friends and anyone else who's reading this.

This is the funniest movie I have seen! I couldn't stop laughing!!!!!! Marlon Wayans does very good work, I really don't understand how the actors didn't laugh while filming it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Only the end is bit sad, but............ If I see it again, I think I will skip it, cos I don't want to have a stomach-ache again!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just kidding!!!!!!!!