OKLAHOMA CITY, Aug. 24, 2012—Few athletes have had starring roles in movies while playing their respective sport. A quick list would be Michael Jordan in “Space Jam”, Shaq in “Kazaam” and Dennis Rodman in “Double Team.” Now you can add Kevin Durant in the new movie “Thunderstruck.”
Brian (Taylor Gray) plays an awkward teenager who is obsessed with Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Brian is the manager of his school’s basketball team, but dreams of one day making the team as a player. His dad takes him to a Thunder game where Brian participates in the half court shot contest. He shoots the ball badly, hits the mascot in the head and, uh oh, he’s embarrassed!
The ball rolls to Durant who magically gives Brian his powers. Armed with these new skills, Brian goes on a “Teen Wolf” like dominance on the court with a Styles-ish friend by his side right down to selling t shirts with Brian’s likeness.
Durant, meanwhile, has lost his game and is terrible. The story gets better from there. No wait, it doesn’t. Everything that you think happens does in this predictable, low quality movie.
Creaters of the film will shield themselves with claims that it is a kid’s movie, but so are a lot of movies that don’t look like a made for TV Disney movie.
Durant actually is pretty good. His cool demeanor and his smoothness comes across in his performance. Jim Belushi plays the school basketball coach, but his son who plays his assistant steals all his dad’s scenes.
The movie has good intentions, but overall is not very good. It is a low-budget movie looking to hit the DVD shelves soon trying to capitalize on Durant’s popularity. It’s a little too much “Kazaam” and not enough “Space Jam.” But nothing compares to “Double Team”.
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