“Uncle Drew” is by all accounts, a throw away movie. Nobody is going to this movie to have a deep experience or follow a complicated story. When I left the theater, it was still a throw away movie, but it was something unexpected, which was a sweet and good-hearted story. It was odd to think that a movie based on a Pepsi commercial would be anything more than a throw away film, but “Uncle Drew” rises slightly above that. They even had some jokes that stockily landed, including one of the best sight gags I’ve seen in awhile. The story is about a thirty something guy named Dax (Lil Rel Howery), a budding basketball coach, who is trying to keep his best player from jumping ship to an up and coming coach named Mookie (Nick Kroll), while trying to also trying to keep his girlfriend (Tiffany Haddish) from jumping ship to him as well. Lil Rey Howery, Nick Kroll and Tiffany Haddish are all comedians who have appeared all over the place, and even in scenes they are supposed to be enemies, you get the sense they are friends. However Tiffany Haddish isn’t really given a lot to do here overall.
Dex comes across the legend of Uncle Drew (Kyrie Irving) who is a basketball star who disappeared from the circuit but could of been legendary. Kyrie Irving is younger than me by the way, as depressing as that might be, but it’s him in make up that makes him look older. All in all, he does a pretty good job of conveying the character. Dex meets Uncle Drew through his barbershop, and when Uncle Drew beats some younger players in front of Dex, he decides to try to take a chance and build a team around him. Next thing the movie becomes is a road picture with Uncle Drew and Dex going to Virginia to meet other members of his team. All youngish basketball players in make up to look old including Big Fella (Shaquille O’ Neal), an Karate instructor with a chip on his shoulder about a past love he had, Lights (Reggie Miller), an older guy who owns a oddball church with his wife (Lisa Leslie), and Boots (Nick Robinson), another old member of the team they help escape the retirement home. There’s also his doting granddaughter Maya (Erich Ash), who provides a love interest to Dex.
The fact it’s taking me so long to describe a plot to a movie based on a Pepsi commercial is a credit to the film. The film, however, doesn’t forget it’s a basketball film and it’s all leading up to a formalistic big game where the older players are going to take on the younger players led by Dex’s rival coach Mookie. This film is no means masterful, but it has some surprising depth to it. Uncle Drew and Big Fella even have a backstory they address. That was surprising. This film having any real thought beyond some product placement and dumb gags was not even needed. However the film was surprisedly light on the dumb gags. We don’t even get a fart joke I was waiting for. However, which I won’t give away, the film has a car chase scene with one of the best slight gags I’ve seen in awhile. Try to figure out what it is.
“Uncle Drew” has plenty of product placement, but oddly not too in your face. The basketball court is covered in ads for Enterprise and Pepsi. There’s even a moment where Mookie on ESPN gives a shout out to Pepsi. Who gives a shout to Pepsi? He literally in the film gives a shout out to Pepsi without a ton of explanation. However this film is hard to hate, and actually is a surprisedly family friendly film. The overall film is friendly to take your kid to, as it’s really not heavy on sex or violence or even gross out humor.
“Uncle Drew” is a fun film, and it’s hard to really criticize. Sure some people may put up their nose at a film based on a Pepsi commercial, which has young basketball players playing old men and a dance off with younger guys in a club in the middle of the film, but actually “Uncle Drew” is a family friendly good time with some nice characters and a fun plot. It’s cliched, but a really nice little film. Every character in this film is really likable. Everyone in this film seems to be having a lot of fun being in it. None of it is Oscar worthy but it’s nice to see them put some effort in a overall very sweet movie.
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