Flawed game plan

In a scene near the end of Slamma Jamma, a slam dunk competitor’s rebuke of a sportscaster’s criticism feels like a caution—or a plea—to movie reviewers: If you’ve never laced up shoes and stepped onto the court, don’t judge those who do. It’s a fair warning, but even couch potatoes can tell a good ballplayer from a bad one.

An important story resides at the heart of Slamma Jamma, but a flawed production makes it hard to watch. The language, violence, and sensuality of a compelling film like Straight Outta Compton are tough to sit through, but so are a clumsy script, mishandled subplots, and substandard acting.

Michael Diggs (former Harlem Globetrotter Chris Staples) finds little to come home to after release from prison. Once a prospective No. 1 NBA draft pick, Michael’s life derailed when he was convicted of a crime in which he didn’t knowingly participate. Michael spent six years behind bars, a tidbit writer-director Timothy Chey has many characters, like an overused trio of sportscasters, repeating throughout the film.

The film majors on the minors and minors on the majors. Example of the latter: One of the first things Michael does upon leaving prison is track down his younger brother, Taye (Kelsey Caesar), who’s falling in with a local gang. After setting up this important conflict, the film all but ignores it until an antiseptic dialogue near the movie’s conclusion. Michael appeals to Taye while the gang members point guns at them.

“Don’t make the same mistakes I did,” Michael urges Taye. “Respect God, respect your mother. You’re the only family I got left.”

The gang members look at each other sheepishly.

“Go with your brother,” the gang’s leader tells Taye.

“Thank you,” Michael replies politely.

Michael faces difficulty in finding employment—a reality for many ex-offenders, but an aspect of the story that eats up too much film time. Other woes await Michael: His girlfriend has dumped him for an NBA star, and his mother is dying of cancer. Also, the neighborhood church is falling apart. But Michael can make it all good again if he wins the $1 million top prize in a national slam dunk competition.

Rated PG for thematic elements, some violence, and language, Slamma Jamma features plenty of dunks—76 by my count. Michael finishes one particularly impressive rim-shaker hanging from the hoop by the crook of his right elbow. Staples is a gifted athlete struggling in his first major acting role, but he can’t be blamed for the ill-fitting Afro-style hairpiece that Michael wears in flashback scenes. Retired Dallas Cowboy Michael Irvin, who plays a greasy sports agent, and former baseball All-Star Jose Canseco, in a cameo role, both flounder like fish on a basketball court. Slamma Jamma takes a shot at an inspiring tale, but misses the basket.