Featured DVD Review: Game Time

December 26, 2011

Game Time - Buy from Amazon or Video on Demand

Game Time is a rather generic name for a basketball movie. It's directed by a first time director and based on a script by a first time screenwriter with a lot of actors that have very short resumes. Will the inexperience show? Or will it be a pleasant surprise.

The Movie

The film begins with Vance Halden (Phil Haus) having a nightmare about his abusive father. When he wakes up, he and his mom are nearly in New York City, where he and his mom are to start a new life after leaving his father. When he gets to school, he becomes the target of one of the school bullies. He also catches the eye of a beautiful classmate, Lena (Noelle Mihalinec). When he shows up his P.E. teacher, he also catches the eye of Jules, the big guy on campus, who then introduces Vance to the world of underground basketball. The game or Duel, as it is called, is a two-on-two, practically no holds barred game of 21. The top dog is Maurice (Antoine Harris), who is the bully Vance encountered when he first arrived, and Lena's ex-boyfriend. (Although he doesn't see it that way.)

Even with that short plot synopsis, you can probably guess the rest, mostly beat-for-beat. Originality is not this film's strong suit. As soon as you see Maurice and Lena breaking up, you know Vance and Lena will get together and that Vance and Maurice will be rivals on the court. You also know that Vance will be forced to choose between Lena and basketball. Jules tells his little brother, Rody, not to borrow his basketball. And when Rody asks how he can practice without a ball, Jules tells him to steal one. As soon as that happens, you know Rody's going to try and steal one, but he's going to get himself into a world of trouble as a result. The clichés also pile up and hurt the overall effectiveness of the film. Additionally, its execution is hampered by a low budget and all the usual issues that come with that. For instance, it feels very small.

On the other hand, the actors were better than their limited resumes would indicate and they were able to keep me at least somewhat interested in the story being told.

The Extras

There are no extras on the DVD.

The Verdict

Overall, Game Time is only an average movie for the genre while the DVD has no extras. If you are interested in watching it, a rental or Video on Demand might be the best bet.


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