With a script by former National Lampoon editor Tony Hendra and Ron Shelton (Bull Durham, Tin Cup), this coulda been a contenda. But this satirical comedy about the not-so-sweet science that is modern-day boxing pulls its punches. Still, the expert cast has a field day. Samuel L. Jackson is fit for a (Don) King as a flamboyant promoter who to revive ratings goes looking for a white heavyweight to challenge the champ Damon Wayans ("White heavyweight?" Wayans scornfully notes. "The words don't even go together. It's like black unity"). He finds dim rock and roller Bill Paxton, who once defeated Wayans in an amateur bout. Jackson dubs him the Irish Terry Conklin. When he protests he's not Irish, he is told, "This is boxing. It means you're white." Optional. (K. Lee Benson)
Great White Hype
(Fox, 95 min., R, avail. Oct. 1) Vol. 11, Issue 5
Great White Hype
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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