''Slamma Jamma'' is a 2017 American faith-based-themed

sports drama film A sports film is a film genre in which any particular sport plays a prominent role in the film's plot or acts as its central theme. It is a production in which a sport, sporting event, athlete (and their sport), or follower of sport (and the spo ...

written and directed by Timothy A. Chey.

Premise

Once promising college

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player Michael Diggs (Chris Staples) is released from prison after serving six years in prison for

armed robbery Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take anything of value by force, threat of force, or by use of fear. According to common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the perso ...

and wins the national slam dunk competition against all odds.

Cast

* Chris Staples as Michael Diggs *

Michael Irvin Michael Jerome Irvin (born March 5, 1966) is an American sports commentator and former professional football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). In 2007, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fa ...

as Terrell *

Jose Canseco José Canseco Capas Jr. (born July 2, 1964), nicknamed Parkway Jose, Mr. 40-40 and El Cañonero Cubano (The Cuban Cannon), is a Cuban-American former Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder and designated hitter. During his time with the Oaklan ...

as Jose Canseco * Kenny Dobbs as Kenny Dobbs * Ryan Gunnarson as Jerome Matthews * Ray Walia as Pastor John Soul *

Michael Hardy Michael Wilson Hardy (born September 13, 1990), known professionally as Hardy (stylized in all caps), is an American country music singer and songwriter. He has written songs for Florida Georgia Line, Chris Lane, Blake Shelton, Dallas Smith, Tho ...

as Brandon * Aqueela Zoll as Linda Collins * Kelsey Caesar as Taye * Gary Smith as Craig Jackson * Kay Wallia as Melinda Jones * Charles Hoyes as Mark Jacobs * Rosemarie Smith-Coleman as Gemma * Tammy Brawner as Tammy Goodwin *

Michael Cognata Michael Joseph Cognata (born May 5, 1988) is an American actor from Boston, Massachusetts. He played Julian Robbins in NBC's Chicago Fire and Tito in Showtime's Shameless Career Cognata attended the Boston Arts Academy (2006) where he majo ...

as Lizare *

William Thomas Jones William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Eng ...

as Warden Ed Williams * Justin Darlington as Jammer * Aaron Braxton as Red

Reception

Box office

''Slamma Jamma'' grossed $1,687,000 in 502 theaters in its opening weekend

Critical response

''Slamma Jamma'' received both positive and negative reviews. In a review for Focus on the Family, the film critic wrote, "Slamma Jamma has a good heart and fine messages. But perhaps more importantly for those who want to see the film, it showcases some amazing athleticism. While this basketball film sometimes stumbles a bit narratively and content-wise, on the court its slam dunk maestros literally soar." In a review for MovieGuide, the film critic wrote, "SLAMMA JAMMA is an uplifting, positive movie with strong Christian faith and values. It calls on people to choose God’s love and turn to faith to overcome the world’s troubles." In a review for ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...

'', Frank Scheck wrote that the film combined its "inspirational and sports- movie tropes in hackneyed, unoriginal fashion" and it's "hoary,

melodramatic A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exce ...

plotting and painfully

awkward Awkward may refer to: * Awkwardness or embarrassment, an emotional state of intense discomfort with people * ''Awkward'' (TV series), an American teen comedy series * ''Awkward'' (album), a 2001 album by Ty * ''Awkward'', a 1999 graphic novel by ...

dialogue leave nary a cliché untouched." A review on

Common Sense Media Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.

gave it one out of five stars stressing that " less you're a fan of the physical act of the slam dunk (of which there are plenty in this film), there's nothing to recommend in this artless redemption story. ''Slamma Jamma'' has a decent message -- hanging onto faith and fortitude is a decisive way to rise from the ashes of youthful 'mistakes' -- but the film itself is weighed down by so many missed opportunities that it's hard to watch." Bad movie podcast The Flop House unanimously gave the film a "Good-Bad" rating indicating that while the movie is lacking in many regards, its shortcomings make it entertaining in a "

so bad it's good A cult film or cult movie, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage i ...

" kind of way.

References

External links

* * {{IMDb title, 5319866 2017 films 2017 independent films 2010s sports drama films American basketball films American sports drama films American independent films Films about Christianity Films directed by Timothy A. Chey Films set in Los Angeles Films shot in Los Angeles 2017 drama films 2010s English-language films 2010s American films