If I had a list of 2018 films coming out ranked from “must see” all the way down to “least interested”, I don’t think Uncle Drew would have even made the list. I had absolutely no interest in seeing Uncle Drew, that is until my film buff friend told me the film is awesome, is much, much better than it has any right to be, and highly recommends it. I didn’t believe him, but I decided to give the film a shot. Ten minutes in and I was immediately regretting my decision. The characters felt stock and/or were complete assholes, the plot felt unoriginal and the comedy was nonexistent. It had me preparing for the worst, but then Uncle Drew shows up.
Now, the character Uncle Drew is a 70-something-year-old streetball legend, but his actor (Kyrie Irving) is a 26-year-old professional basketball player. In fact, all of Drew’s elderly teammates are played by present/former professional basketball players (Shaquille O’Neal, Chris Webber, Reggie Miller, Nate Robinson, Lisa Leslie). This is the film’s premise—a streetball manager (Lil Rel Howery) down on his luck puts together a team of past-their-prime players to win the Rucker Classic tournament and a lot of money. The premise is absolutely ridiculous, but god damn did it put a smile on my face. There’s immediate chemistry between Uncle Drew and the main character, with said chemistry getting larger and more effective with every new elderly player introduced. “Charming” best describes Uncle Drew in a single word. The film has charm coming out the ass. Everyone turns out likable in their own way—the elderly teammates, the main character, the love interest, the ex-girlfriend, even the despicable jerk rival becomes somewhat appealing by the end.
The key is how Uncle Drew handles its setting. The gimmick is ridiculous—an elderly man who’s been wheelchair bound for years can, in a single day, suddenly move, jump and play like a pro—but the film is well aware of such. The plot is predictable, but the film avoids staleness by simply blitzing through the formulaic material. Uncle Drew has one goal and that is to have as much fun as possible. Its plot and premise are second fiddles to its characters and their dynamic. The film’s best scenes do not stem from the playing itself—it breezes through most of the games—but when the main cast hangs out and interacts as a wacky yet good-natured family. I laughed a lot during these scenes, but equally grew attached to the characters. In turn, my attachment for the characters got me unexpectedly invested in their playing.
The film uses the oldest trope in the book by having the main character take the shot that can win the final game, against the rival he lost to decades before, just as the fourth quarter ends. Usually, I’d be rolling my eyes at such cliché, but here, here, I tensed up—genuinely hoping and praying that he makes the shot. Let me emphasize that a film called Uncle Drew, where professional basketball players are dressed up as elderly men, accomplished what few sports films have done before by getting me fully invested in the final game. The film overall is just a really fun, really good time. I never would have believed I’d be writing this a day ago, but Uncle Drew truly is surprisingly awesome and I do highly recommend seeing it.
