A tightly knit group of working-class Atlanta teens spend their time bonding over hip-hop and roller skating while pondering life after high school in director Chris Robinson's coming-of-age comedy drama that draws inspirations from the real-life childhoods of Dallas Austin and Tionne Watkins. For a kid growing up on the south side of Atlanta, the Cascade roller-skating rink is the place to be seen, and it's the place where the orphaned high school senior Rashad (Tip Harris) and his little
brother Ant (Evan Ross) go every weekend to forget their financial troubles, hang with their friends and get their groove on. But outside the rink, the brothers have problems they can't avoid: Ant is being recruited into the posse of charismatic drug dealer Marcus (Outkast's Antwan Andre Patton, aka Big Boi). Meanwhile, Rashad's three best friends -- including the ambitious Esquire (Jackie Long) -- are pulling him in different directions, and his new girlfriend New-New (Lauren London) may not be as "street" as she seems. As Rashad tries to hold on to his little brother, he also comes to the realization that if he's ever going to make something of himself, he's going to have to step out of his skates and into the real world. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
It's something akin to the earlier films of Spike Lee -- She's Gotta Have It and Crooklyn come to mind -- in that the characters are cherished for their human qualities, not for how well they swagger onto the screen.
Warner Bros.' low-budget stab at capturing an urban niche audience is higher on stylistic dazzle than originality or coherence, making it an unlikely candidate to bust out of the box office ghetto.
A tip of the cap to Tip Harris and Lauren London for it is their chemistry and charm which allows one to believe in their tenderhearted romance in an atmosphere where women are regarded as objects and affectionately called 'bitches' and 'hos.'
Be forewarned that despite this critic's stamp of approval, this flick does trade in misogyny, profanity, the N-word, violence and drug use. Notexactly appropriate for impressionable young minds, despite the kid-friendly PG-13 rating.
I really can't say there is all that much to the banal plot or stereotyped characters that we haven't seen before and better. (HD-DVD and DVD Combo Format)
A contradictory approach ultimately muddles the film despite some heartfelt and evocative moments about youngsters growing up on the streets of Atlanta.
... a surprisingly strong coming-of-age movie with a great young cast. It pops with color and humor and pays attention to the details that situate it in a real location ...
Director Chris Robinson maintains a light touch, giving the colorful, energetic skating scenes the benefit of his music-video roots, but he doesn't neglect character, drawing sincere performances from his young cast.
A light urban coming-of-age dramedy where the veneer may be darkly intriguing, but the finish is pure homily, of the sort where lessons are learned and dreams do come true.
One cannot ignore or discount that Robinson is not only trying to tell a conventional tale unconventionally, but he is also attempting to put Atlanta on the map of cinematic city characters.
A New American Story The movie was good and it had it's good moments. The story is not that great but decent enough. The acting was so-so from everyone, still entertaining and it pass really quickly. The attitudes, style and environment puts you right on the streets down south and that's why it was good.A tightly knit
group of working-class Atlanta teens spend their time bonding over hip-hop and roller skating while pondering life after high school in director Chris Robinson's coming-of-age comedy drama that draws inspirations from the real-life childhoods of Dallas Austin and Tionne Watkins. For a kid growing up on the south side of Atlanta, the Cascade roller-skating rink is the place to be seen, and it's the place where the orphaned high school senior Rashad (Tip Harris) and his little brother Ant (Evan Ross) go every weekend to forget their financial troubles, hang with their friends and get their groove on. But outside the rink, the brothers have problems they can't avoid: Ant is being recruited into the posse of charismatic drug dealer Marcus (Outkast's Antwan Andre Patton, aka Big Boi). Meanwhile, Rashad's three best friends -- including the ambitious Esquire (Jackie Long) -- are pulling him in different directions, and his new girlfriend New-New (Lauren London) may not be as "street" as she seems. As Rashad tries to hold on to his little brother, he also comes to the realization that if he's ever going to make something of himself, he's going to have to step out of his skates and into the real world.
November 15, 2009
Manu Gino
Super Reviewer
The movie is okay, as it tells the story of life through the eyes of some ATL hood residents.
It's entertaining to see the differences between neighborhoods, and follow the life of the people in the movie - but the movie seemed to forget a moral? You can make up your own, but there really was just no major point in
it.
It started strong, then kept going and going until an end where it ended up just the same as the beginning? Maybe, "Apperciate what you have, it could be all you ever will have".
Fun to watch, but obvious loss potential makes you wonder what it could of been.
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