‘Underdogs’ Review – Snoop Dogg Becomes Coach of Kids’ Teams in Wholesome Sports Comedy | Movie

WWhen laconic rapper-turned-actor Snoop Dogg is asked to appear in a movie, he often plays himself or a version of himself, and this salty but ultimately very wholesome sports movie is no different. things are repeated. There’s even a clever parallel between the character played by Snoop and the efforts he made to found an American football league for kids in the real world. Yes, his theatrical range may be quite limited, but Snoop has obvious on-screen charisma and a sense of comic timing that is expertly directed by director Charles Stone III. cannot be denied.

The plot, which is as old as time, or at least as old as the vintage 1976 comedy Bad New Bears, sees Snoop play J.J., a former aspiring professional football player. JJ is best known for a somewhat disappointing career, despite his early promise and lack of loyalty to anyone. 1 team. JJ, who is struggling to make a comeback as a commentator, hits rock bottom when he causes an accident due to reckless driving and is sentenced to 30 days of community service by a judge he has known for a long time, picking up dog poop at a Long Beach city park. California. There, JJ plays ball on a team where his high school ex-girlfriend, Celyse (Tika Sumpter), is now a hard-working single mother trying to support her prepubescent son, Tre (Jonigan Booth, Bargain). I notice what I’m doing. Of course they are at the bottom of the league. Before he could learn to spell Walter Matthau, JJ signed on to coach the team. His aim is to turn these “underdogs” into viral success stories, promote them on his podcast, and connect them with better career prospects for themselves.

Surprisingly, what happens next plays out pretty much as expected, with very few great plays that upset expectations. The young cast, who are given permission to swear like the navigators, are clearly having fun, and the general sausage fest breaks up with a young female character (Kayla Davila) who plays a key role in the team’s ultimate success. It’s great to see you do that. Comedian Andrew Schultz is another bright spot as J.J.’s nemesis, the coach of the Underdogs’ arch-rivals. Considering how different his character’s humor is, it’s surprising that he improvised most of the material, including the part where he has his team thank God for inventing a plastic helmet that causes brain damage to rival players. Probably not.