Released: 7/1/05

Viewed: 7:00pm 7/10/05

Starring: Martin Lawrence, Breckin Meyer, Horatio Sanz, Patrick Warburton

Directed by: Steve Carr

Yes, I saw it. I know it says "crappy movies" up there, but there's some garbage you just avoid. I could have gone the Pajiba route, which I admit was pretty damn funny and clever, but the truth is ? I actually wanted to see this. Martin Lawrence in the right situation can equal monstrous laughs. Of courses, as much as he hits, he misses. It's just a big crap shoot, but based on how good he's been to me in the past, I'm willing to give pretty much anything a shot.

Mistake. Ok, there are a few good laughs here, and Lawrence is entertaining, but the clich?d story is so bland and unimaginative that it quickly looses all momentum, and turns into a hollow shell of former underdog movie greatness.

As most predicted it follows the pattern of broken man forced into a situation that ultimately teaches him a lot about himself. He helps the kids and grows as a person all at the same time. But it follows this pattern so closely you can call out the scenes before they come up. "He recruits some unexpected talent." "He uses unorthodox tactics to make them better players." "His past life forgives him for his faults and welcomes him back with open arms creating a conflict between the life he loved, and the one he's grown to love."

Hollywood is smarter then this. Hell, Martin is smarter then this. He had to have seen that it would just play out like a tired old retread. In a summer of remakes and updates, this is actually an original production. But seriously, they just took The Bad News Bears and changed Baseball top Basketball. It's a mess.

There are sweet moments, and some real conflict at the end when Lawrence is forced to make a tough choice. These are done well and make you remember the qualities of movies like Bears, that made them classics in the first place. It reminds you that this isn't just a movie about teaching kids organized sports. But they foolishly followed all that up with the least entertaining basketball finale of all time. You know that scene in Along Came Polly where Stiller and Hoffman are shooting the ball and talking about girls? There was more dramatic tension over who would win that game, then there was in Rebound. You know what this movie could have used? A subplot about a werewolf who played better as the wolf, but preferred to play as his human self because that was the "real" him.

There's some truth in the comic that if you bring your level down a little you'll be able to enjoy the movie a lot more. Try this ? go in with the expectation that everything Martin says is the funniest thing you've ever heard. I know, it sounds stupid. Try it anyway. Eventually you'll start to laugh genuinely and find real humor in what's going on. He's really a funny guy that has gotten a bad rep because of a few missteps. I admit with open arms to being a huge Martin Lawrence fan, but Rebound is not one of his better moments. He's had great success with movies like Big Momma's House, Blue Streak, and the Bad Boys films. I love all of those but will admit to each having flaws. (Bad Boys 2 will NOT end. No matter how hard you will it to?. It rumbles on.) But for my favorite Lawrence film, check out Nothing Left to Lose from '97 where he costarred with Tim Robbins as a desperate criminal trying to take care of his family. We see Lawrence at his comedic best, and it was also his first chance to do some real acting on a large level. That movie deserves some more attention.

I wish Rebound had half the heart, and half the laughs that Nothing Left to Loose did. But when the funniest moment in a movie is the little girl two rows up saying "What the hell's wrong with that bus" as the middle school clunker smokes it's way down the road, you've got some serious problems. Ok I'll admit I more then enjoyed Patrick Warburton as the rival coach. And the introduction of "Sledgehammer" was priceless. But it's just not enough.

The plot, the story, and the laughs were all way to thin. 3.5 out of 10 Which breaks my hear. Partly because of people that expected it to be crap. 2 or 3 of these in a row could really destroy a career like Lawrence's. Which sucks because he's gotten me to laugh a hell of a lot of times. Good luck Martin. I'll be at the next disaster (or triumph) and I'll laugh all the way through.

DVD worthy?: No. As much as I like Lawrence and a few of the jokes in this movie, there's just not enough there to legitimize owning. Or even watching it again.

If you liked this movie check out : The Mighty Ducks

Say what you want, but the Mighty Ducks may be the best family friendly, kids targeted, movie about the underdog coming up and winning. There are other movies like Bad News Bears that really created and defined what the genre should be. There are plenty that are much funnier. But few have done it as well and as accessibly as Emilio and the Ducks. Plus it has Joshua Jackson.

Trailer Hitch: Big momma's House 2

It was really just a mild teaser for the sequel to Lawrence's huge hit of 2000. I enjoyed the first one quite a bit. Like I said, when Lawrence is on, he's hugely entertaining. Big Momma's House was one of those "on" moments. The teaser wasn't very revealing. Lawrence, as Momma ran down the beach in a ridiculously small bathing suite, braids flowing in the breeze. As a woman he looked horrendous. As an aging comedian desperate for a hit after a few years of mediocre work, he looked glorious.

It's too soon to tell. The sequel could just be a tired rehashing of the previous. It could also be original and entertaining. Murphy has been able to pull it off in his franchises. But if you're modeling your career on Murphy you need to watch Pluto Nash again.