If this 1970s roller-disco comedy didn't have Malcolm D. Lee in the director's chair, it would be downright unwatchable. Built on a sloppy, fill-in-the-blanks plot, it follows a group of skate-crazy teens from Chicago's tough south side (led by talented hip-hop actor Bow Wow) as they're forced to migrate to a trendy north side roller-disco because their own rundown rink has been shuttered—inevitably leading to a rivalry with hotshot locals, trite romance, and a "skate-off" finale (the story couldn't be more stale if the script itself were a dusted-off relic from the Jimmy Carter era). But Lee (The Best Man, Undercover Brother) has a gift for finding gold nuggets of character insight and humor in the tailings of over-mined plots. Here he makes up for the shopworn source material by punching up the laughs and hiring talented young stars to flesh out the stock characters—enabling Roll Bounce (overly self-indulgent at 100-plus minutes) to often rise above its considerable flaws. A strong optional purchase. [Note: Available in either widescreen or full screen versions, DVD extras include three audio commentaries (with director Malcolm D. Lee; with Lee and costars Bow Wow and Mike Epps; and with Lee, writer Norman Vance, Jr., and producer Robert Teitel), 12 deleted scenes with optional commentary (20 min.), a 13-minute “Forward Motion” making-of featurette, a gag reel (10 min.), “Skating Competition Newswraps” with footage of pro skaters (6 min.), “70's Stylin: The Look of Roll Bounce” (4 min.), a profile on Bow Wow (4 min.), the music video “Boogie Oogie Oogie” performed by Brooke Valentine with Fabolous and Yo Yo, and trailers. Bottom line: featuring more audio commentaries than are strictly necessary, this is a good extras package overall for a halfway decent film.] (R. Blackwelder)
Roll Bounce
Fox, 106 min., PG-13, VHS or DVD: $27.99, Dec. 13 Volume 21, Issue 1
Roll Bounce
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