More Than a Game

What a stroke of luck to undertake a basketball documentary about a grade school team that includes the undiscovered future NBA star LeBron James!

Using film and game video footage interspersed with computer effect enhanced photographs, excellent editing and well-mixed music we get a compelling revealed story about four boys turning into men under increasingly intense public scrutiny.

I particularly liked the way the director "animated' photographs by extracting layers and changing the focus. This was probably a necessary technique to extend limited early footage, but it brought in a dimension that many documentaries are lacking

I was told to watch this documentary for my screen writing class. I must say, horrible, horrible movie. All around, one of the worst things I could have watched. I must admit that I am not a big sports fan, but there are many sports movies and documentaries that I do really enjoy. But those films had, well, a story to them. I know what writer/director Kristopher Belman was thinking. 'Let's just throw a bunch of crap together and star LeBron in it and it'll sell big. Hell, it worked for the Justin Bieber documentary!' I don't know who's rating this movie so high... It's insane.

More than a Game is a movie starring LeBron James during his high school years, and some other unmemorable, annoyingly cocky basketball players who just dominate everyone they play basketball against in. Then, of course, they get to play in the national championship game. As a side note, to captivate us as a movie audience, we need to cheer for an underdog in movies. Movies such as Miracle, Rocky, Rudy, The Mighty Ducks, Major League, Warrior, etc, were all movies about the underdog and out-heart the competition. It's what makes a movie enjoyable! No one cheered for the overly cocky champ Apollo Creed in Rocky. No one cheered for the Russians in Miracle. I don't even think the Russians did!

As an added bonus, we get to hear each of the kids struggles of growing up in the ghetto, and their courage to keep playing basketball against all odds. I'm not sure if anyone cares about that, because I sure do not. Maybe I'm heartless, but these guys make it so easy to cheer for their opposition. There really is not one good quality I could find in any of these kids, besides not being crack addicts. But if they were, I'm sure this film would be much more enjoyable.

I gave this movie a 2 out of 10 simply because I got to watch the whole thing in one sitting without jabbing my eyes out of my skull. Though i was quite tempted. Only the biggest LeBron fans will enjoy this movie. Don't waste your time.

This documentary follows Lebron James(NBA superstar) and childhood friends....from the earliest part of his life. From grade school friends, to youth travel ball, to playing at St Mary's High School, to being drafted in the NBA. When four tight buddies become five...off the court as well. Almost a biopic...but not. Amazing what an Akron-Native with time and a camera could accomplish following around "King James".

Although this film follows a professional basketball players rise to fame, it is more about the friendships and loyalty involved in the process. You can't become a star without having trust and faith in others around you. Turns into a great study of professional athletes, what it takes at all ages, but also the emotion and friendships that shape the human....we fail to look at these stars as normal guys like ourselves...and we shouldn't. You will understand just who and what they are through movies like this.

This is story telling at its best. Not only is it a highly entertaining basketball movie, there are so many life lessons that you can learn from watching it. So many topics come to the fore. Father and son relationships, manhood, aspirations, discipline, submission, spirit de corps, unity, fairness, justice, overcoming adversity, respect, obedience, friendship, greed, dealing with fame, community spirit, achievements, single parents, loving mothers, father figures, faith, God, religion, destiny, purpose in life and success. You also se selfishness, pride, disunity, arguments, rebellion. It's all here.

I highly recommend this movie to all teachers, coaches, fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, Pastors, youth workers. Today is Mother's Day 2014. If it weren't for King James' mother, her faith, fortitude, grit, love and determination, he wouldn't be where he is today. Father's Day is on the horizon! Coach Drey and his relationship with his son is one of the pillars of this movie. All fathers, spiritual fathers and fathers-to-be should watch this DVD or movie. Pastors and youth leaders, watch this movie and you can extract many life lessons.

To me, the best part of the movie was watching Coach Drey in action. His prayer on basketball being in God's small scheme of things put the perspective on the entire movie. How many men could pray a prayer like that? in the society that we live in today, winning is everything. Do we use basketball as a tool to achieve what God wants us to do in the lives of others, or does basketball use us? This movie is more than just sports, it is about a journey of character building and creating men out of boys.

To me, Coach Drey is a humble man. How do I know this? I know because humble man prays to a God whom he knows is in charge of the whole situation and is bigger than he is, Only a humble man admits that he has a lot to learn and is still learning about basketball by reading books of basketball greats and watches videos. Only humble man listens to his wife's advice on a life-changing decision of taking over as head coach when he is paralyzed by the thought of destroying the dream. Only a humble man talks to his son and asks his son if he was too hard on him. The humble man speaks of his own fears and frailties as a father, and a whole dependence on Jesus as his Lord and Saviour.

I am amazed at the locker room scene where Coach Drey pep-talks the team in a firm, soft-spoken and controlled manner. I expected a hung-ho speech and a morale-boosting talk by Coach Drey but what emerged was words of wisdom, soft, yet hard hitting to the core of the players psyche. I believe that loud and harsh words from Coach Drey were not necessary because of the relationship between coach and players. He had already threatened, yelled, screamed, admonished and discipline the players over the years in the training sessions and on the battlefield of tournaments. He was their father figure. Coach Drey was the 6th player of the Fab5. Even when the team was behind on points at the start of the 4th quarter of the Championship Final game, he did not yell, scream or give his boys the hair dryer treatment. He knew what to say to them and they knew what he meant.

Here's another thing I observed. There is a scene where the boys are sitting on the basketball court and Coach Drey is talking to them. The janitor is sweeping the floor with a broad brush broom. The boys are in his path. He does not stop and does not deviate from his path. Boys lift their legs to let the broom and handler pass them by. Then they lower their legs and resume their previous posture. In that situation, despite being basketball stars of their college and their State, they submitted to the lowly floor cleaner who was just doing his duty.

In the movie, I also got a glimpse of the emphasis of Christianity and on Jesus Christ among the black community of Akron, specifically of the family members and relatives of the players. My faith is lifted up. Through this movie, I am inspired to be a better husband and a better father.

This is a high-quality documentary. The graphics and image special effects are amazing and highly entertaining. Watching a diminutive sub 5-footer sink 3-pointer shots with ease will inspire you. Watching archive footage of the Fab-5 dismembering other teams because of their intuition and close team-work is awe-inspiring. it is a story worth watching and I believe that as you watch it, you will be challenged in your spirit, soul and body. Frankie "Moodurian" Kam, Malaysia.

To be honest, one of the best documentaries I've ever seen. A truly feel good movie. I'd heard about Lebron James, but never really knew much about him. Then my son and me watched the movie. To say it was inspiring (especially for the little guy) would be a gross understatement. The best part of the movie was finding out that Lebron became who he is today, because of a small group of people that became his extended family. As a parent, and a fellow human being, its hard not to have tears well up at the end of this one, because we all want to be loved. They all found that love - in each other. The side effect was an amazing basketball story.