Let Me Roll It: ROLL BOUNCE

THIS IS MY 50th POST !!! Congrats to me ... think of all the time I've wasted. I've actually quit that job I had when I started, and I should have the final draft of the screenplay (about the guy who blogs) entered into my cmputer today. This blog has taken me across the country, let me track my movie viewing 9god I see a lot) and let me air opinions that offend my family :). So, to carry on...

It would probably take an awful lot to get me in the movie theatre to watch a film about roller skating, but ROLL BOUNCE had one sure fire thing going for it. It was FILMED at the ROLLER RINK I WENT TO IN JUNIOR HIGH!!! That's right, good old Lynwood Sport Center makes it feature film debut as Sweetwater Roller Rink, home of the Skate championships of the summer of 1978. Now, I'm no Rink Rat like some of my friends, but I did spend several evenings and days off there ... including a date with a girl that my father and I picked up from a trailer park ... can't even remember her name now... but enough about my exploits as a thirteen year old.

ROLL BOUNCE is a funny and touching coming of age story about a group of teens growing up on Chicago's south side who's main passion is roller skating. When their local rink closes, they have to traipse up north to the fancy rink where they get showed up by the local superstars. They have to compete in a dance like challenge to save their face as their leader X (Bow Wow, 'lil no more) rebuilds his relationship with his father after his mothers death. Its a hell of a story, with great moments of comedy and drama intertwined throughout. The ensemble cast is well-utilized and everyone gets their little moment to shine. Especially good is Chi McBride as Xavier's father and Jurnee Smollett as Tori, X's quick tongued neighbor who goes from brace face to hottie during the course of the movie (I have similar memories of my friends back in my life as a thirteen year old at the roller rink).

The movie has one of the best soundtracks in recent memory, perfectly capturing the mood of the time. And it is really well paced. It just flew by ... until the end sequence where we have to watch several roller skate routines (5 actually) - which were all good, but as they each were a whole song long, it made the end a little tedious. At least I was really invested in the story at the time, so I enjoyed it, but I couldn't help but think there could have been a better way to do that. Its a minor point though, a ROLL BOUNCE is an easy recommendation.

ROLL BOUNCE is recommended for 13 year olds, people who actually remember roller skating when they were thirteen years old, fans of soul/funk of the 70's, and anyone who wants a non-offensive non-violent movie that's not animated. Rick's Rating: A-