SummaryIn the 1990s, a young LeBron James (Marquis “Mookie” Cook) and his three best friends — Lil Dru (Caleb McLaughlin), Willie McGee (Avery S. Wills, Jr.) and Sian Cotton (Khalil Everage)—called themselves the “Fab Four,” after the famed Michigan Wolverines’ “Fab Five” of that era. From the moment we meet them, we realize this group of friends, under... Read More
Directed By:Chris Robinson
Written By:Frank E. Flowers, Tony Rettenmaier, Juel Taylor, LeBron James, Buzz Bissinger
Shooting Stars
Metascore
Generally Favorable
62
User score
Generally Favorable
7.7
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
62
36% Positive
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
64% Mixed
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Jun 9, 2023
100
When a movie loves its characters and story as much as this one, and dedicates every aspect of filmmaking and performance to doing them justice, and consistently puts virtuosity in service of meaning, the result conjures a feeling that's close to what you experience when someone you adore has a great and richly deserved success, and you're privileged to be able to witness it and cheer them on.
Jun 1, 2023
75
An entertaining docudrama that rarely digs beneath the surface but serves as a bright and inspirational reminder of a time when basketball was the glue forging a bond among five young boys who started playing together when they were around 10 years old and remain close friends to this day.
User score
Generally Favorable
7.7
78% Positive
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
22% Mixed
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
Jun 8, 2023
10
I love the new movie, Shooting Stars. You don’t need to be a basketball lover to enjoy this one! This movie is so motivational, relatable and hilarious. It is a must-see, and definitely a “slam-dunk.” The film highlights the inspirational story of the ultra-famous NBA player, LeBron James and his high school friends. It takes place in 1994 through 2003, during his childhood and high school years, and focuses on the “Fab Four” - young LeBron James (Marquis Cook) and his best friends Lil Dru Joyce (Caleb McLaughlin), Willie McGee (Avery Wills) and Sian Cotton (Khalil Everage). I’ve never been an avid basketball follower or fan, but that didn’t make Shooting Stars any less of an enjoyable movie for me. Even though I never played basketball seriously, I can relate to this movie as a high school athlete. It was so interesting to learn things I never knew about LeBron James and his life. And what’s great is that if you want to learn even more about LeBron, you can read the book by LeBron James and Buzz Bissinger, Shooting Stars, which the film is based on. Since the film was produced by LeBron himself, it provides an accurate representation of his early years. In a voiceover in the first-look teaser trailer James says, "People think they know my story, but this is our story." The sets, locations and props all reflect the time period and give us a bit of nostalgia. Additionally, the actors look so much like the people they play. Speaking of which, Marquis Cook, Caleb McLaughlin, Avery Wills, Khalil Everage, and Sterling Henderson work so well together and have a lot of chemistry. Additionally, they all are fabulous basketball players. Shooting Stars marks the acting debut of Marquis "Mookie" Cook as young LeBron James. Although he is a rookie actor, Cook has a substantial basketball background. He is not only a top-ranked high school athlete but has also participated in the 2023 All-American games. Throughout the movie, be on the lookout for some cameos! The message of this movie is to follow your passions and work hard for them. Additional themes are that your family isn’t just blood and that teamwork is important when you’re trying to achieve your goals. Be aware that there is some profanity and language that people may find offensive. I give Shooting Stars 5 of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 18, plus adults. Athletes and LeBron fans will particularly enjoy this movie. It releases exclusively on Peacock June 2, 2023. By Katherine S., KIDS FIRST!
Sep 13, 2023
8
Shooting Stars has the recipe for a Thanksgiving feast but settles as a comforting fast-food treat: fatty and overly sweet, but the ingredients are right and satisfying. Director Chris Robinson keeps the movie running. The basketball action is over-the-top exciting as title cards are overlaid in a rat-a-tat fashion. He successfully takes a story that offers no real surprises and crafts an amazingly-fun narrative. Similar to the Serena and Venus Williams biopic King Richard, Shooting Stars makes the magnificent understandable, offers insight into a world of wonder, and keeps you cheering at the end.
Jun 1, 2023
70
The story was already told in the 2008 documentary More Than a Game, but that won’t stop the GOAT’s fans from wanting to see this lovingly rendered adaptation that covers all the early career highlights, albeit sometimes in sanitized form.
Jun 3, 2023
60
It is an inspiring story, no surprise, told with a great deal of warmth.
Jun 1, 2023
55
Director Chris Robinson’s go at Shooting Stars doesn’t reach the heights of its genre’s potential, but it’s not a completely blank slate either. It sits somewhere right in the middle of both worlds: You can feel the inspired approach to the material at a basic craft level, but it’s also never particularly surprising that it went straight to streaming on Peacock.
Jun 1, 2023
50
The picture hews too closely to formula to be anything more than filmic comfort food.
Jun 6, 2023
40
The idea behind this film is to celebrate James’ first and best teammates. In the real world, what they achieved as a basketball team was remarkable. But dramatized? On the screen? It’s stubbornly undramatic.
Aug 31, 2023
5
Uma pena que o filme do Lebron James seja tão broxante. Diferentemente da homenagem empolgante que fizeram a Stephen Curry, com cenas de basquete dignas e um roteiro que sabia muito bem apara onde caminhar, aqui o roteiro simplesmente se afasta do basquete e abraça o drama ao estilo "Clube dos cinco".
Veja como até mesmo a estética dos jogos de basquete vai se tornando cansativa: basicamente é filmar os jogos à meia altura, close em câmera lenta, e acelera na hora do ponto. Não há também equilíbrio para um partida: nas partidas onde há derrotas, filma-se o time em tom pesado e escuro, acentuando os erros e mostrando quase nada dos acertos, ao passo que nas partidas onde vencem, mostra-os em holofotes.
A história então parte para se fixar no grupo de amigos com dificuldade de desapego. Enquanto em "Clube dos cinco" o reforço ao grupo se fazia em situação de perigo e longe do olhar adulto, aqui os adultos parecem estar complacentes à dificuldade dos meninos em desapegar-se de laços que, uma hora ou outra, irão arrebentar. Na verdade, eles sabem que os laços serão rompidos, mas o roteiro precisa de um toque de novela mexicana.
então, diversas situações irritantes e enfadonhas nos são postas à prova, e por mais que a produção capriche no retrato de época, e tente de alguma forma trazer elementos reais, com as notícias e jornais daquele momento, o filme não escapa do tom episódico e de decepcionar nas cenas do esporte. Esperava muito mais. Ainda bem que temos o filme do Stephen Curry para contrapor-se a esse aqui.
Production Company:
- Cold Front Productions
- SpringHill Entertainment
- Tangerine Pictures
- Universal Pictures
Release Date:Jun 2, 2023
Duration:1 h 56 m
Rating:PG-13
Website:
Awards
Image Awards (NAACP)
• 1 Win & 3 Nominations
Hollywood Music In Media Awards (HMMA)
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
NAMIC Vision Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
