Patches - Clarence Carter

Advantages: Samuel L Jackson
Disadvantages: Cliche

...era. Before Barak Obama they would get their inspiration from sport, music and the movies, the basketball feel good flick atop of that particular pile at the multiplexes, and I think its fair to say there's been quite a few of those B-Ball movies over the decades, Americas foremost black acting talent only too willing to be in them, an essential part of any 'right on' brothers acting CV. The world's coolest dude, Samuel L Jackson, is one of those brothers in question here; Coach Carter earning MTV films its biggest ever opening weekend at $25 million dollars. Black Americans love basketball because it's nearly always the classic rags to riches trip and one of the very few styles of film you can have an all black cast and soundtrack to, let alone the inspiration of the sport that offers one of the few ways out of the ghetto coming over... Read review

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Advantages: Samuel L Jackson, Feel good movie, uplifting
Disadvantages: bits can feel manufactured, clichéd

...The Movie The real life coach (Ken) Carter made the news in 1999 for closing the Gym and banning any basketball activities because several of the students in his team were not doing well in the classroom. The reason he took drastic action was because all the students on the team signed contracts that they would meet a minimum criteria which encompassed all of their education, not just the basketball side of it. Six years later in 2005 Samuel L Jackson steps into Carter's shoes for the movie where he transforms an unfit, uneducated, uncaring bunch of delinquent kids who won 4 basketball games the previous season into winners. Not only winners in terms of them being undefeated within their chosen sport, but also winners in that he instilled pride into what was until recently a mob of unruly kids. Of course the kids initially... Read review

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Advantages: Stallone
Disadvantages: Little Action

...Despite some interesting moments between Stallone and Rouke, as well as some nice editing, this remake of the 1971 British gangster starring Michael Caine is a pretty drab affair. Many critics have argued already that this is a result of how routine the storyline is -- Carter (Stallone) is out to avenge his brother's death -- but this is a remake, what else would they expect? Personally, my gripe is with the lack of action. Stallone threatens on numerous occasions in Get Carter to seriously kick some arse with all his tough talking and trademark snarl, but there's never really any follow through. Sure, he throws a few punches and fires a couple of shots (as a man in his business should); however, the film, on the whole, prefers to concentrate on Stallone being a good uncle, as if to say the character is really quite compassionate... Read review

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