More Than a Game 2008

Michael Phillips, At the Movies: Around the halfway point when the LeBron James crew runs into some adversity beyond the socioeconomic circumstances that get short shrift in the movie, it starts getting pretty good. Read more

Nick Schager, Time Out: Belman only skims the surface; even his depiction of the admirable Joyce (who ditched corporate America to chase his dream of being a mentor) shows a preference for tidy sound bites over intense inquiry. Read more

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: Sometimes the narrative suffers from a surfeit of hindsight -- earnest sermonizing on the importance of friendship, family and dedication in the boys' development. The sermons are worthy ones, though, and Mr. Belman's film dramatizes what it preaches. Read more

Ted Fry, Seattle Times: Utterly captivating for the humanity at its core. Read more

Scott Tobias, AV Club: Belman doesn't look into the bigger problems of James' team jet-setting across the country during the school year, or the spectacle allowed to build up around him. Read more

Mark Feeney, Boston Globe: What's almost as impressive as James's talent on the court is his poise and character. Read more

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: It's always risky to mix sports metaphors, but it's hard to resist the notion that the basketball-themed More Than a Game is a knockout of a sports documentary. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: Expertly orchestrated and unavoidably moving, More Than a Game is nevertheless your standard inspirational sports story about spunky kids who defy the odds to become champions. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: More Than a Game is a documentary, but it's every inch a triumph-of-the-underdogs fairy tale. Read more

Christy Lemire, Associated Press: An inspiring story that works very hard to remind you it's an inspiring story at every opportunity. Read more

Amy Nicholson, I.E. Weekly: Like a gambler with an inside bet, you can know the final score, but still enjoy every second of the game. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: The footage is terrific, and all the guys make for charismatic heroes. But Belman barely addresses the stories happening off the court. Read more

Kyle Smith, New York Post: There's no "I" in team. But there are two in stultifying. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: There is dazzling basketball here and an interesting father-son relationship (Coach Dru Joyce was father of the shortest player on the team). Read more

Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle: The filmmakers go a little too far with the superlatives, at times trying to portray these gifted and often immature players as bigger underdogs than they appear to be in real life. But the movie is comprehensive and interesting... Read more

Josh Levin, Slate: While More Than a Game succeeds in depicting the friends' deep mutual affection, the edges of the LeBron James story are too often smoothed to a dull, inspirational point. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: It's a resonant story about four boyhood friends, determination, sacrifice, overcoming obstacles and the mentor who guides them from rough beginnings to the national basketball championship. It's about victorious lives, not games. Read more

Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: You'd be hard-pressed to find a better documentary about on-court dynamics and off-court camaraderie; but as journalism, it's less than thorough. Read more

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail: Really, it's just an extension of the LeBron James brand, released to coincide with a book on the same subject and designed to explore the star's humble roots even while further buffing his galactic glitter. Read more

Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: It drags in places, becomes repetitive and could use a more rigid hand in editing, but it also has a kind of pleasing earnestness that would be lost in a more sophisticated effort. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: It's an inspiring tale not just for lovers of basketball, although the games featured are so thrilling and tense that it's a challenge to remain sitting placidly in one's seat. Read more

Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice: Good game footage, a few clear looks at the kids behind it, but mostly as processed as Space Jam. Read more