Synopsis:
ROLL BOUNCE: Full of the humor, mild humiliation, and bittersweet lessons of growing up, this coming-of-age comedy from Malcolm D. Lee (UNDERCOVER BROTHER) unfolds on the South Side of 1970s...
ROLL BOUNCE: Full of the humor, mild humiliation, and bittersweet lessons of growing up, this coming-of-age comedy from Malcolm D. Lee (UNDERCOVER BROTHER) unfolds on the South Side of 1970s Chicago. Xavier (Bow Wow, LIKE MIKE) and his wisecracking crew of friends rule the local roller skating rink, but when it closes, their summer looks to be an empty one. Reluctantly, they head over to Sweetwater, the glitzy rink across town where the rich kids skate, and where the cocky Sweetness (Wesley Jonathan) presides over all as the unchallenged king of the floor. The boys are ridiculed upon their arrival, and soon vow revenge at the upcoming competition, for which they begin to hone their skills. Meanwhile, X deals with his troubles at home, as his mother has recently died and his dad, Curtis (Chi McBride, I, ROBOT), struggles to make ends meet. The two attempt to understand each other's grief, and help each another to move beyond it. X also makes the acquaintance of new kid Tori (Jurnee Smollett, COSBY), a gawky girl with braces and a sharp tongue, who tags along with the boys as an ugly duckling, later to emerge a swan. Tori's hot mom (Kellita Smith, KING'S RANSOM) attracts a great deal of attention on the block, notably from two quick-talking garbage men (Mike Epps and Charles Q. Murphy in a hilarious bit part), and X tries to navigate his budding relationship with the seemingly unattainable Naomi (Meagan Good, D.E.B.S.). The roller disco mania is infectious, driven by a great soundtrack featuring artists both new and old. The story, too, hits all the right notes, by turns touching and hilarious, with the underdogs-make-good story avoiding the saccharine, and giving Bow Wow the chance to shine.
JOHNSON FAMILY VACATION: JOHNSON FAMILY VACATION is an all-ages comedy that breezily resolves family problems and offers some good clean fun along the way. Closely modeled after National Lampoon's VACATION films, star Cedric the Entertainer puts a modern slant on similar scenes and setups first introduced by comedian Chevy Chase. Both Steve Harvey and Cedric (who have collaborated on numerous projects including THE STEVE HARVEY SHOW and Spike Lee's THE ORIGINAL KINGS OF COMEDY) have successfully revived an old-school, Richard Pryor/Gene Wilder kind of comedy here. There's an amusing prayer scene where Harvey and Cedric try to outdo each other through the word of God. But mostly, this is Cedric's film and it shows in everything he does. Just easing himself into a too-hot hot tub is a winning stand-up routine in itself.
The story follows Nate Johnson (Cedric), your basic insurance nerd at odds with his teenage children, DJ (rapper Bow Wow) and Nikki (Solange Knowles), and his estranged wife, Dorothy (a luminous Vanessa Williams). Nate's mission is to road-trip from L.A. to the Johnson family reunion in Missouri with a goal of snagging the coveted "Family of the Year" trophy and trumping Nate's painfully competitive, loudmouth brother (Harvey). A few cases of mistaken identity, a few random opportunities for hilarity (such as a wrestling match with a pet alligator), and a couple of encounters with the law, and the family finally reaches the reunion, where they pull together a cool song-and-dance routine and set their sights on the huge trophy.
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