Opening 19 Jan 2006
Directed by:
Malcolm D. Lee
Writing credits:
Norman Vance Jr.
Principal actors:
Bow Wow, Brandon T. Jackson, Marcus T. Paulk, Rick Gonzalez, Khleo Thomas
The year is 1978 and young X (Bow Wow) and his buddies must find a new haunt when their favorite roller skating rink on the south side of the city is closed. When they cross town to Sweetwater Roller Rink on the north side they are in for quite a shock. They are suddenly poor misfits and their skating skills, which they had thought were tops, don’t even come close to comparing to those of Sweetwater’s own fancy, albeit snobby, trick skating team. Add to the mix tension on X’s home front due to the recent death of his mother and his father’s (Chi McBride) unemployment. X grows as he confronts these issues both on and off the rink. And the result is this feel good, 70s nostalgia flick.
To be perfectly honest, when this film began, I expected to be disappointed. But as the film progressed, I couldn’t help but enjoy it. All the 70s references reminded me of my own childhood, and all the cheesy lines were hilarious. Roll Bounce, directed by Malcolm D. Lee, is light and fun. This film is definitely best enjoyed with a group of friends who have lived through the 70s, as did this reviewer. Hence I expect it might actually sell more DVDs than tickets at the box office, becoming a staple for 70s flashback parties all over. (Shauna Keeley)
