Champions movie review

MOVIE TITLE:     Champions

This sports comedy by Focus Features is now available in theaters.

RATING:    PG-13

LENGTH:      2 hours 3 minutes

IN A NUTSHELL:

The heartwarming film was directed by Robert Farrelly, and written by Mark Rizzo, Javier Fesser, and David Marques.

This is the American remake of the 2018 Spanish film Campeones.

It’s about a  former minor-league basketball coach who is ordered by the court to manage a team of players with intellectual disabilities. He soon realizes that despite his doubts, together, this team can go further than they ever imagined.

THINGS I LIKED:

• The fantastic cast stars Woody Harrelson, Cheech Marin, Ernie Hudson, Kaitlin Olson, and Madison Tevlin.
• Woody Harrelson served as one of the Executive Producers.  He and the director worked together on the movie Kingpin back in 1996.
• The players in the featured basketball game are disabled actors in real life.  All of them are real basketball players from the Special Olympics!  None of them ever had any acting experience before this movie.
• The movie definitely has heart.
• There are a lot of cute road-trip sequences.
• We don’t see NBA-quality basketball, but fans of the game will still get a kick out of game sequences.
• Keep watching during the rolling credits at the end for a fun treat by Woody Harrelson!

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

• It’s extremely formulaic.  That being said, the underdog sports formula works VERY well and is always a crowd-pleaser.
• Not all of the humor lands.
• Crude conversations that shouldn’t be in a movie; otherwise, it could have easily been a family-friendly hit.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:    

• Some profanity and 1 F-bomb
• The movie starts with a one-night stand.
• We see an unmarried couple in bed a lot.
• A woman flips the bird.
• Farting
• Someone projectile-vomits on another person
• We see a drunk driver crash into another car.

THEMES:

• Basketball
• Life choices
• Loyalty
• Underdogs
• Faith in humanity
• Success
• Intellectual Disabilities
• Redemption and second chances
• Human connection
• Community Service
• Special Olympics
• Friendship

FUNNY LINES:

• “I’m a homie with an extra chromie.” –  Johnny  (Kevin Iannucci)

OTHER MOVIES LIKE THIS YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

B-Ball: The Team That Never Lost A Game:  (true story book):  https://amzn.to/3TMFcwj

Eddie the Eagle:  https://amzn.to/40kq3Vz

Cool Runnings:  https://amzn.to/3TSRcN6

Dodge Ball:  https://amzn.to/42FiNFs

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