More Than a Game

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.

If you know or care anything about high school hoops on a national level, there's one stretch of the truth that will jump out at you near the end of this movie -- that being the assertion that St. Vincent-St. Mary is playing in a national championship game in what was the senior season for LeBron James and the rest of the "Fab 4/5". Of course, there is no national championship game for high school hoops, at least, not like there is in college. LeBron and his crew won the Division II Ohio state championship as seniors, then would have had to be voted national champs in one or more polls. And I don't remember if they were consensus national champs; since it's all done by polls, it's possible one or more polls had some other team as its national champ that season.

Maybe that only means something to me because I'm a basketball fan. For everyone else it probably suffices to say that this is an entertaining film, if a bit thin on details and questionable at times in its accuracy. As basketball documentaries go, More Than A Game can't hold Hoop Dream's jock, but seeing action clips of LeBron as a youngsta make it worth the rental.

One last basketball junkie point: For my tastes the film makers should have gone into more detail about the LeBron-Carmelo Anthony HS matchup. It's glossed over a bit in this film so you don't get the sense of what a battle that game was between two good teams and two future NBA stars (36-8-5 and six steals for LeBron, 34-11-2 for Carmelo). Nor is it emphasized that LeBron and St. Vincent-St. Mary lost the game.

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.

Many people probably watched "More Than a Game" for LeBron James. I admit that that was A reason for me, but not THE reason. Fourteen years prior to this movie I watched "Hoop Dreams" about a couple of high school basketball players. "Hoop Dreams" was a better documentary and it didn't have the benefit of of a LeBron James. So, I still would've watched "More Than a Game" regardless of the name of the athlete featured.

"More Than a Game" was an interesting contrast to two other basketball documentaries I watched: "Hoop Dreams" and "Hoop Reality." "Hoop Dreams" had two players who never realized their dreams. "Hoop Reality" featured Patrick Beverly who made it to the NBA even if he's not a household name. "More Than a Game" featured a person who not only realized his hoop dream, but also became a mega-star.

I remember when I first heard all the LeBron James talk in early 2003. I didn't pay a lot of attention to it, but it's significant because I live in California. To be hearing about a high school basketball player all the way here in California means that he was a big deal. "More Than a Game" chronicles that as well as less headline making news from his younger years.

I like documentaries in general, so I'd recommend it anyway. And for you basketball fans, and especially for you LeBron fans, this is a must.