''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 or a sports-related topic is prominently featured or is a focus of the plot. De ...

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 Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

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 use of fear. According to common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person o ...

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 player. He played his entire 12-year career as a wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). In 2007, h ...

as Terrell *

Jose Canseco José Canseco Capas Jr. (born July 2, 1964) is a Cuban-American former professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). During his time with the Oakland Athletics, he established hims ...

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

Michael Hardy Michael Hardy may refer to: *Hardy (singer) Michael Wilson Hardy (born September 13, 1990), known mononymously as Hardy (stylized as HARDY), is an American country music singer and songwriter. He has written songs for Florida Georgia Line, Chris ...

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 as Lizare * William Thomas Jones 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 Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'',

Frank Scheck Frank Scheck is an American film critic. He is best known for his reviews in the ''New York Post'' and ''The Hollywood Reporter''. He formerly edited ''STAGES Magazine'' and worked as a theater critic for the ''Christian Science Monitor ''Th ...

wrote that the film combined its "inspirational and sports- movie tropes in hackneyed, unoriginal fashion" and it's "hoary, melodramatic plotting and painfully awkward

dialogue Dialogue (sometimes spelled dialog in American and British English spelling differences, American English) is a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people, and a literature, literary and theatrical form that depicts suc ...

leave nary a

cliché A cliché ( or ; ) is a saying, idea, or element of an artistic work that has become overused to the point of losing its original meaning, novelty, or literal and figurative language, figurative or artistic power, even to the point of now being b ...

untouched." A review on

Common Sense Media Common Sense Media (CSM) is an American nonprofit 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 ''The Flop House'' is a comedy podcast about films that flop, either commercially or critically, produced every two weeks. It is made in Brooklyn, New York and hosted by Dan McCoy, Stuart Wellington, and Elliott Kalan. Each episode focuses ...

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, 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 Fandom, fanbase, which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage in rep ...

" 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 English-language independent films English-language sports drama films