You have to love the '70s. Not just the '70s of reality, the avocado green, Cold War, gas shortage version; rather the imaginary, glittery '70s that pop culture has created, from "Saturday Night Fever" (1977) to its latest installment, "Roll Bounce."
If nothing else, "Roll Bounce" succeeds in nailing down this ultimately cool retro vibe, full of pretty colors, funky clothing, and afros. But the real reason why "Roll Bounce" was a hit with the audience at Loews Boston Common on Saturday afternoon was that it uses this classic framework to create an excellently produced coming-of-age comedy.
"Roll Bounce" also proves the widely accepted notion that a movie with a sub-par script can be saved by succeeding in other areas of production. Beyond the roller skating backdrop, the general story has been told many times before.
Growing up on the south side of Chicago in 1978, Xavier (Bow Wow) and his buddies struggle with family conflicts, while trying to maintain their boogying pride in the intimidating, predominantly white north side skating rink. Finding that their given skills will no longer support them, "X" and the gang have to re-work their routine and their attitudes in order to get the glory and the girl.
As is probably obvious, the script is rife with corny cliches including, but not limited to, the girl from the block looking to fit in with the guys, an inevitable fall from grace, the climactic large scale competition, and several slow motion zooms on hotties tying their shoelaces, not to mention an endless string of cheesy one liners.
But this is to be expected. Anyone who opts to see a movie about the struggles of a roller disco team should know what they are getting themselves into. This corniness should not deter anyone, however, since it does not ruin the overall quality of the movie. Despite its predictability, the entire audience was still on the edge of their seats wondering how Xavier would fare in the inevitable skate-off climax.
The element that stands out the most about this film is its soundtrack. A groovy fusion of new and old, it features everyone from Kool and the Gang to Beyonce and Brook Valentine, while wisely resisting any contributions from the movie's musically-challenged star, Bow Wow.
This mix is air tight - hip-hop artists have long succeeded by showing reverence to the decade, and director Malcolm D. Lee's use of authentic soul and classic grooves makes these songs relatively indistinguishable from the untouched originals. The soundtrack is not likely to be an instant classic, but it certainly ties the movie together and makes the audience want to boogie down like the "good old days."
Another redeeming factor was the surprisingly high caliber of acting. Chi McBride is perfect as an overbearing father with a big heart, Charlie Murphy shines as everyone's favorite bad-ass garbage man, and, surprisingly, Bow Wow, whose real name is Shad Moss, has come a long way since "Like Mike" (2002), and acting his lil' heart out.
Even the secondary actors score as they fling "yo mama" jokes back and forth until the audience is in tears. The other great performance is by the mysterious skating double whose masterful footwork turns "Roll Bounce" into a feast for the eyes and makes the grand finale well worth the wait.
"Roll Bounce" is a guaranteed good time for anyone who likes good music, pretty colors, groovy dance moves, or melodramatic by-the-numbers comedy. It is not a great movie by any stretch imagination, but who could really expect a masterpiece to arise from such a goofy premise? Rather, the film succeeds within its reasonable limitations and turns out to be a good time for those who remember the '70s, those who grew up listening to Lil' Bow Wow, and everyone in between.
