Uncle Drew

Let's get this out of the way up front: Yes, "Uncle Drew" is a Pepsi commercial expanded to feature length. Does that sentence make your heart hurt? It probably should. But let's walk things back for a second. While the conceit of taking the character from a commercial and building an entire movie around them doesn't exactly leave a good taste in your mouth (this is coming from a guy raised on "Ernest" movies), there might actually be something to "Uncle Drew." It's stupid, but a stupid that you want to hang out with.

Dax has put everything into his team for this year's Rucker Tournament. But just when it's looking like he has a team that could take him all the way, his archenemy Mookie swoops in and steals them out from other him. To make things even worse, Mookie also makes off with Dax's girlfriend. Dejected and scrambling to find a way to stay in the tournament, Dax witnesses the glory of Uncle Drew, a septuagenarian streetball legend. This gives him the crazy idea: Reunite Uncle Drew's old team to win the tournament.

There is something familiar and warm about "Uncle Drew." It recalls bargain DVD bin fare like "Good Burger" and "Space Jam," movies that I'm confident I enjoy mostly based on nostalgia. But like those movies, most of "Uncle Drew" is made of cozy mix of sweet and silly. Yet it isn't afraid to throw in a dark sense of humor that lingers just beneath the surface, which can mostly be attributed to the comedic stylings of Lil Rel Howery, Tiffany Haddish, and Nick Kroll.

That is not to discount the contributions of the numerous basketball legends that pop up in the movie. Every player gets their moment to shine, with Shaquille O'Neal and Chris Webber commanding particular attention. While their acting talents may not be astounding, the sheer level of playfulness and general happiness to be around each other pushes past any kind of misgivings. That is the general theme of "Uncle Drew," a lot of fun with maybe not so much talent.

The Blu-ray release is about what you would expect from this type of movie. There is a heavy presence of Pepsi, to no surprise, both in the film itself and the special features. It is odd to see soda executives talking excitedly about the story of "Uncle Drew" when deep down inside you can just see them trying to figure out how many dollars they will be reaping from this endeavor. The only real standout feature is an animated short on the character of Uncle Drew, entitled "Dear Drew." It is reminiscent of Saturday morning cartoons of years gone by and displays the affection that Kyrie Irving has, not only for the character, but for basketball more generally. "Uncle Drew" is silly, playful, often stupid, plagued by product placement, and the exact kind of fluffy good-spirited fun that you'd be hard pressed to be offended by.

"Uncle Drew"
Blu-ray + DVD + Digital
$19.96
https://www.lionsgate.com/