Swagger Review

 


        Swagger is a sports drama series released in October of 2021, created by Reggie Rock Blythewood. It is loosely based on the childhood of NBA superstar Kevin Durant, who also serves as an executive producer on the show. The story tells of a young teenager who’s an up and coming basketball phenom, being raised by a single mother.  He deals with the typical “Urban” adversities that many young black teenagers have dealt with... Dad isn’t present, he’s trying to find a balance of being a man and still being a child, as well as being a good friend. In doing so he takes on many of their burdens while trying to assist them in survival. 


        The cast stars one of my favorites, O’shea Jackson Jr. Many of you may know him from starring in the Biopic film Straight Outta Compton, where he played the role of his real life father Ice Cube...He was absolutely Great!  I guess it’s safe to say like father, like son. The rest of the cast was just so so. While I feel it’s amazing to introduce new faces to the big screen, I also feel a little more time and effort in selecting actors really could’ve brought this film to life. A lot more of emotion could’ve been displayed between the characters in a lot of the scenes. Which leads me to my next topic, the plot. 


        This storyline was your typical urban sports storyline. Nothing impressive and nothing to rewind. It centers around the teenager and his strive to accomplish more skill and ultimately basketball greatness. So if you’re looking for that “Spectacular Twist” that most of us look for in these movies, DON’T LOOK HERE! It’s nothing different from what we’ve seen in most sport movies. 


        However, the video quality & cinematography was AMAZING. You can easily tell they put alot of thought into these scenes. You can actually lose yourself in some of these staged basketball games. It almost feels as if you were watching a real NBA game with the intense full court pressure scenes and the focused portrait dunks. Great camera views both inside and outside of the court. They even made sure to get great fan footage. 


        This writer also deserves a kudos. A lot of thought may not have went into the plot, but they made up for it in the writing. Very relatable and realistic conversation. Up to date with the current events and touched on some of the everyday struggles. Only thing I would’ve suggested was a little more background history on the characters but who knows… They might be saving that for season 2. 


        And Lastly, Scenery! Great transitions. It kept me on my toes and excited about what I was going to see next. Constant changes and very realistic. They used a lot of the neighborhood and the community in which the story is to have taken place, which is always a plus. Overall this movie gets a 3 out of 5 from me. Be sure to keep watching and see what I’ll be reviewing next. Until then, Be Great!


                                                                                                                          Mr. StayTuned,

                                                                                                                              Kry Jones


Cast- 2/5  (Emotional Impact, Authenticity of the Character)

Plot- 3/5  (Storyline)   

Video Quality- 5/5 (Cinematography)

Dialogue- 4/5 (Writer, Character Background, Conversation)


Scenery- 4/5 (Setting)