Playin'
For Love (2013/RLJ DVD)
Picture:
C Sound: C Extras: D Film: C+
Coach
Banks (aka The General, played by Director Robert Townsend (directing
here), who is the 'General' because his ways, his methods, and his
training has always brought home a winning trophy) has won 6 high
school basketball championships and intends to continue to win a
seventh one. His only problem is his new basketball star's mother,
Talisa, who believes the coach's way is too old school and threatens
to pull her son off the team if he doesn't use 'her' playbook. Sure
and confident of her method... will it be the coach's turn to learn a
few new tricks?
In Playin' For Love (2013), Banks is
riding high on unquestioned success. That is until he encounters
Talisa, a single mother with 3 kids, which her and her group of
(girl) friends believe in woman's rights, men are dogs and woman can
and do anything a man can do. And as much as the 'General' Coach
Banks hates being forced to change and resists taking commands from
the fairer gender, he can't help but be attracted to Talisa. In the
end he will have to decide what is more important, a winning team or
winning the girl?
This was a kid's movie, set in an inner city
high school basketball story, but it seemed un-able to decide if it
wanted to focus on the basketball game or the comic romance. In the
end, it felt more just like a movie of battle of the sexes than any
sport themed movie. It didn't teach about the game, teamwork or good
sportsmanship. Male ego versus female girl power, a man might be an
alpha dog in society... but a woman is the alpha at home.
The
anamorphically enhance 1.78 X 1 image and lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 mix
are both a bit softer than we would have liked, but a Blu-ray edition
would likely play better all around. There are unfortunately no
extras.
-
Ricky Chiang
