Ice Cube and Fred Durst (of Limp Bizkit) want you to take them seriously, yet Keke Palmer just wants to keep showing her skills. In The Longshots, all three – Durst, the films director, Ice Cube, its producer and co-star and its leading lady, Palmer – get a chance to spread their wings. Due to release nationwide this weekend, The Longshots is the truest underdog story. Nobody expects much from Curtis Plummer (Cube) or Jasmine (Palmer); both were content in his or her own little worlds existing but not really making any marks on the world. By chance, Jasmine’s mom, Claire, portrayed by my new favorite home girl Tasha Smith, needed someone to step in to watch her 11-year old daughter. Her uncle, Curtis, just happens to be the best choice; at least he’s her blood. Agreeing reluctantly, Curtis tries to connect to his niece; but with football and beer as options for conversation, he’s limited. Jasmine doesn’t make it easy on him. “You smell!” was her favorite phrase; so believably played by real life 14-year old Palmer. As an unenthused, hard-to-impress, yet mild teenager, Palmer, again outdid herself by gracefully playing a girl on and off the field. The juice, of course, comes when Curtis sparks Jasmine’s interest in playing football. You could look into her eyes and see she was intrigued about learning something new that a girl can be a quarterback and take her team to the Superbowl. Yes, the real Superbowl. The films’ on-the-field shots were reasonably pulled off yet nothing as spectacular as Any Given Sunday. However, when Jasmine was under her helmet, no one would be able to tell that she was a girl. It made for added drama; when she’d throw the ball so forcefully, you could feel the tale wind in the movie theater. Jasmine’s development into being a strong football team member were some of the most riveting scenes, because it allowed both Palmer and Cube to first bond as a team of two. He believed in her and her skills even before she did. This isn’t the first time Cube and Palmer have been a team. Cube Productions hired Palmer for her very first acting part in 2002 in the sequel, Barbershop 2, as Queen Latifah’s niece who riffs with Cedric the Entertainer of a mini grilled hamburger. Six years and several films later, The Longshots, again, allowed both exceptional artists a chance to take their mentor and mentee bond to a higher level. Thankfully, you can see their growth. On screen, it seems real, as real as most underdogs. And this is a real story; the story of Ms. Jasmine Plummer who just a few years ago, took The Minden Browns, a losing local team to the national championship as their first string star quarterback. The Longshots is really an amazing story; not just for football fans but for anybody who roots for the underdog. The movie is not so serious that you can’t appreciate the characters’ exceptional performances; comical enough to keep your attention yet moving enough that you want them to win. You’ll appreciate the neighborhood of misfits that join in on the fun as the Minden Browns go from a nobody team to national contenders. Check out scenes with comedians Earthquake and Michael Colyar, who play Carl and Ennis, respectively with zest and humanity. You’ll also recognize Garrett Morris portraying the local minister whose church help raise the money for the Browns to make the championship game in style. Jill Marie Jones portrays Plummers’ school crush, youthfully and with innocent sex appeal. Their on-screen spark made the film seem almost vintage. Take your kids to see The Longshots. You never can tell when another movie will come around that actually motivates them to do something they never thought could be done.
Ice Cube and Fred Durst (of Limp Bizkit) want you to take them
seriously, yet Keke Palmer just wants to keep showing her skills. In The
Longshots, all three – Durst, the films director, Ice Cube, its producer
and co-star and its leading lady, Palmer – get a chance to spread their
wings. Due to release nationwide this weekend, The Longshots is the
truest underdog story. Nobody expects much from Curtis Plummer (Cube)
or Jasmine (Palmer); both were content in his or her own little worlds
existing but not really making any marks on the world. By chance,
Jasmine’s mom, Claire, portrayed by my new favorite home girl Tasha
Smith, needed someone to step in to watch her 11-year old daughter. Her
uncle, Curtis, just happens to be the best choice; at least he’s her
blood. Agreeing reluctantly, Curtis tries to connect to his niece; but
with football and beer as options for conversation, he’s limited.
Jasmine doesn’t make it easy on him. “You smell!” was her favorite
phrase; so believably played by real life 14-year old Palmer. As an
unenthused, hard-to-impress, yet mild teenager, Palmer, again outdid
herself by gracefully playing a girl on and off the field.
The juice, of course, comes when Curtis sparks Jasmine’s interest in
playing football. You could look into her eyes and see she was
intrigued about learning something new that a girl can be a
quarterback and take her team to the Superbowl. Yes, the real
Superbowl. The films’ on-the-field shots were reasonably pulled off yet
nothing as spectacular as Any Given Sunday. However, when Jasmine was
under her helmet, no one would be able to tell that she was a girl. It
made for added drama; when she’d throw the ball so forcefully, you could
feel the tale wind in the movie theater. Jasmine’s development into
being a strong football team member were some of the most riveting
scenes, because it allowed both Palmer and Cube to first bond as a team
of two. He believed in her and her skills even before she did. This isn’t the first time Cube and Palmer have been a team. Cube
Productions hired Palmer for her very first acting part in 2002 in the
sequel, Barbershop 2, as Queen Latifah’s niece who riffs with Cedric
the Entertainer of a mini grilled hamburger. Six years and several
films later, The Longshots, again, allowed both exceptional artists a
chance to take their mentor and mentee bond to a higher level.
Thankfully, you can see their growth. On screen, it seems real, as real
as most underdogs. And this is a real story; the story of Ms. Jasmine Plummer who just a
few years ago, took The Minden Browns, a losing local team to the
national championship as their first string star quarterback. The
Longshots is really an amazing story; not just for football fans but
for anybody who roots for the underdog.
The movie is not so serious that you can’t appreciate the characters’
exceptional performances; comical enough to keep your attention yet
moving enough that you want them to win. You’ll appreciate the
neighborhood of misfits that join in on the fun as the Minden Browns go
from a nobody team to national contenders. Check out scenes with
comedians Earthquake and Michael Colyar, who play Carl and Ennis,
respectively with zest and humanity. You’ll also recognize Garrett
Morris portraying the local minister whose church help raise the money
for the Browns to make the championship game in style. Jill Marie Jones
portrays Plummers’ school crush, youthfully and with innocent sex
appeal. Their on-screen spark made the film seem almost vintage. Take your kids to see The Longshots. You never can tell when another movie will come around that actually motivates them to do something they
never thought could be done.
