hyped garbage

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Better Late Then Never

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

The movie is really well-made productively with a good camera and it's cool to see the NBA cooperated and thus we have actual NBA teams with actual NBA players and with the actual TNT crew. Kevin Durant himself is a very good actor in this, realistically portraying his humble attitude. And that is all the positives I have about this movie.The biggest problem about this movie is just how clichéd and generic it feels. It feels like a downed version of older and better basketball movies such as Like Mike, The Red Sneakers, Space Jam, Hoosiers, etc. It hits all of the clichés in a typical cheesy kids movie: the underdog main character has a sucky life, something crazy happens that changes his life for the better (in this case the main character Brian gets Kevin Durant's basketball talent and now he plays insanely good basketball), the main character initially basks in all the fame and love he is getting, but then realizes the success is getting to his head and decides to return things back to normal. It even ends with a basketball game in which Brian's team wins on a last-second shot, but this is even worse than other versions because it's even more uninspiring than others. Somehow Brain magically gets the team to play better in the 4th quarter just by telling basic basketball advice to his teammates, and even though Brian sucked all game and should suck without KD's talent, he hits a game-winning shot. Can't get anymore cliché than that.The characters feel one-dimensional, and the movie doesn't even try to make you sympathize with or root for anyone. You won't feel bad for Brian or KD while he doesn't have his talent once. There's this generic new girl character (Isabel) who is impressed with Brian's basketball skills but then when she realizes his success is getting to his head she claims that basketball is not how she noticed Brian (even though it clearly WAS basketball when Isabel started to be with Brian). The humor mostly relies on these simple and basic jokes instead of something more creative. And while KD has some good acting, I can't quite say the same for the most of the rest of the cast. Brian's actor is no fun, Isabel's just generic, and mostly everyone else is just there to act out some jokes.Definitely wouldn't recommend, while 8-10 year olds may enjoy this there are still better basketball movies that you would rather see instead.

This film, at first glance just a bit of adolescent fluff, is very much worth watching. Among its happy reasons: 1.it is expertly crafted: you're in the hands of very skilled folks , both behind and in front of the camera, who are masters of the art of pleasing with seeming artlessness2.it pivots around an actual live person, a superstar, who â€" and this is the heart of its appeal, its unique grabber - PLAYS HMSELF! Not just in a cameo role or walk- on, but in scene after scene after scene, looming gigantically throughout yet always with the actor's attribute that is most prized by movie directors â€" understatement. 3.For almost the entire movie this superstar must portray himself as his own negation - a failure, an utter incompetent, a flop of zero market value. How many of today's multi-millionaire superstars would have the â€" maturity? Character? Self-cnfidence? Whatever â€" to portray themselves as the total antithesis of their quintessential image? KD breaks new ground â€" and he does it with all the grace and charm and acting skill you could want.4.The film's dramatic structure is worthy of the classics: it spins out not one but two fantasies in equal measure, equally compelling, totally opposite in content yet inseparably interlocked, providing all the necessary dramatic tension. On the one hand there's the trite adolescent sunshine daydream; on the other, the dark nightmare of a superhero whose power suddenly and inexplicably vanishes. Two universal fantasies. It takes a deft sensibility to dream it up and pull it off.5.The cast are all so splendid in their respctive roles and a pleasure to behold. Taylor Gray of course, and Brandon Jackson; and James Belushi, as coach Amross, creates a memorable new comic character.6.Beyond all of the above and more is that the film never lets you forget one important fact: it's all a spoof, a slice of plain good fun. So, watching it, you never have to be anxious or frowny; just be cool, love it for what it is, have a couple of hours of harmless fun - regardless of your age (I'm 82) and relish a new-found respect for the man KD and for all the others who made it happen!

Thunderstruck is a teen-age film that features Oklahoma City Thunder and NBA superstar Kevin Durant together with Taylor Gray, Jim Belushi, Brandon T. Jackson,Tristin Mays and Doc Shaw.The story's a simple one.Brian Newall is a big fan of the Oklahoma City Thunder and the team's standout player Durant, but short and clumsy himself, he's relegated to managing the Eagles, the high-school team coached by self-promoting coach Amross and his lock-step assistant. Brian's also tormented by his little sister Ashley, who posts videos of his backyard catastrophes at the basket, which are then picked up and shown on campus by team star Connor. All this when Brian is trying to impress the pretty new girl, Isabel. When Brian's dad takes him to a Thunder game to cheer the kid up, the boy's selected to try a half-time prize shot, which he muffs badly, conking the mascot instead. Durant consoles him by giving him a signed ball, but unknowingly also his own talent. Suddenly Durant can't nail the basket at all, sending his team down the tubes, while Brian becomes the Eagles' spark plug, making incredible moves and scoring forty and fifty points a game—bringing him campus adulation and Amross the dream of a state championship. Unfortunately, in the process Brian gets a swelled head, ignoring his best friend Mitch and alienating Isabel. Fortunately Durant's agent Alan figures out what's happened and desperately tries to reverse the talent switch, though he must first convince Durant he's not just suffering a terrible slump. And, of course, Brian has to come to his senses and realize he shouldn't profit from somebody else's ability without working for the skill himself—or ditch his friends. One guess as to how things turn out.The film has a great, if not commonplace, message: Work hard to get ahead. Don't take any shortcuts. Those teachable moments make it a worthy diversion for parents and kids already cheering for Durant, the NBA or sports-themed entertainment. Durant's personal motto, which is repeated often, is "Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard." And that slogan acts as the backbone of the film, educating young audience members about the importance of practice. Nothing wrong with kids wasting 90 minutes if they come away with that theme.I am sure that people who love basketball and Durant fans would love this one too.Boys of a certain age—and their sports-minded dads—probably won't mind. For them, it won't be earth-shaking, but it should prove a harmless invitation to spend a little quality time together.

We all love to root for the underdog, when he becomes top dog through a fluke rather than hard work, well, it's not so satisfying. Brian Newall, who magically acquires the talent of his hoops hero Kevin Durant (who plays himself), eventually finds he'd rather get the talent back to its rightful owner. There are plenty of laughs along the way, from Brian's klutzy ball-playing in the beginning to what KIDS FIRST! youth film critic Brianna Beaton, age 12, describes as her favorite scene, when Kevin's agent "is trying to get Kevin his talent back. He is doing all kinds of things, going from holding the basketball together with saying a message to rubbing the carpet and then finally to a stun gun." Brianna was there at the red carpet to interview cast members, including father and son actors James and Robert Belushi who share how they brought comedy from their own relationship to the script.Thunderstruck Reviewed by Brianna Beaton (See her full review on video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkfvV7swlqE)Thunderstruck, starring NBA superstar Kevin Durant, is a funny and inspirational film that is definitely enjoyable to watch.Brian Newall (Taylor Gray) is horrible at basketball. He loves the game, but he just cannot play. Brian is a very big fan of NBA superstar Kevin Durant. While at a basketball game, Brian gets a chance to meet the superstar and supposedly steals Kevin's talent. Kevin Durant, playing himself, is suddenly horrible at basketball while Brian is the new superstar on his high school team. Kevin is worthless and is on the receiving end of all the bad publicity from fans and sports commentators. Kevin's agent, Alan Garrett, (Brandon T. Jackson) goes to great lengths to try and get Kevin his talent back.I really like this film because I just love basketball. It is my favorite sport and I really get into the game. There are a lot of funny moments when Brian is playing with his team and he is showing how really klutzy he is. Coach Amross (James Belushi) and his assistant coach Dan (Robert Belushi) are too funny and will definitely keep you laughing. My favorite scene is when Alan is trying to get Kevin his talent back. He is doing all kinds of things, going from holding the basketball together with saying a message to rubbing the carpet and then finally to a stun gun. This is really funny. I also like the scene with Kevin's mom in a cheerleader's outfit.One great message in this film is that talent isn't something you get; talent is something that you earn with hard work and dedication.I recommend this film for ages 7 to 18 and anyone who loves the game of basketball. If you are a fan of Kevin Durant, then you will not want to miss this one.I give Thunderstruck four out of five stars because it's funny, has a good message and is great for the whole family to enjoy.