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      Roll Bounce

      PG-13 Released Sep 23, 2005 1 hr. 47 min. Comedy Drama Romance List
      66% 90 Reviews Tomatometer 70% 50,000+ Ratings Audience Score Xavier (Bow Wow), a teenage boy in Chicago, struggles with the loss of his mother and turns to roller skating as a way to deal with his angst. He and his friends are the stars of the skating rink they frequent, but this is about to change. When it closes down, they have no choice but to try out a more upscale spot, the Sweetwater Roller Rink. There, they enroll in a skating contest, and have to prove themselves to the reigning champions, headed by a skater named Sweetness. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered Mar 28 Buy Now

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      Roll Bounce

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      Roll Bounce

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      Critics Consensus

      Roll Bounce dazzles us with a classic late 1970's feel, but this coming of age film could have been more than just a spin around the roller rink.

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      Audience Reviews

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      Bart B Had some pacing issues but overall a pretty good movie. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/09/24 Full Review Roy V Fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun and more fun! Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/03/23 Full Review Audience Member This is a stupid movie but with a lot of great people in it Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Leave it on the rink. So this is about a teenager (Shad Moss) in the summer of 1978. His friends all skate, but their favorite rink closes for good. They are down, but not out, so they go across town to another rink. The only trouble is that they are not the kings of this new territory. Now, my wife has recently become big into skating over the pandemic, and she has been fully committed to the craft. My feet aren't made to be on wheels, but I have peripherally picked up an appreciation for skating along the way. She wanted to show me this movie over the weekend, and of course, I was open to it since I will give anything a shot. Even though I don't have a background in skating films, this movie felt familiar, and I mean that in a good way. I noticed a key element early on that led to me enjoying myself as much as I did. For all intents and purposes, this hits the same exact beats as a dance film. Roll Bounce is like any given Step Up movie, except on skates. It's a bit of a guilty pleasure, but I typically have fun with dance movies, and I enjoyed myself watching this. Both this movie and dance movies know why you're here. You want to see some jaw-dropping skating moves or somebody getting served like it is nobody's business, and in that regard, Roll Bounce delivers. Granted, it only takes up a portion of the overall film, but the same can usually be said about dance movies as well. You're not really here for the story, it just can't be terrible, and the one that is present here is passable. I feel that Shad Moss AKA Lil' Bow Wow AKA Bow Wow is a better actor than he gets credit for. I believe that he did the majority of his own skating moves, and that gives him a bit of street cred. He is the star and the anchor of the movie, although I will say that the majority of the performances here feel a bit Disney Channel, even from the recognizable faces who have moved on to bigger and better things. I will say that it is a bit dated; even coming out in 2005, there are some lines and insults that didn't age well. There is smack talk with every confrontation, which is welcome, but still, there are some lines that are cringe-y from a racial standpoint. Even with that said, I feel like the jokes land more often than not, and they would regularly catch me off guard with a punchline or a zinger. I appreciated that this was both written and made by black people, so it does ring authentic, especially given that this is a pastime that has its roots and origins overlooked with regularity. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member Boring movie. Not worth watching. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/23/23 Full Review Audience Member Feel-good flick is fun but nothing special. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Roll Bounce

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      Critics Reviews

      View All (90) Critics Reviews
      Dallas Morning News Rated: C+ Jan 7, 2006 Full Review Richard Roeper Ebert & Roeper Sometimes a film wins you over with its sheer exuberance and sweetness. Sep 26, 2005 Full Review Marc Savlov Austin Chronicle This is the real deal, and it shows up the likes of pre-Eighties Xanadu and Roller Boogie poseurs with a funky, grooving panache that's all its own. Rated: 3/5 Sep 26, 2005 Full Review Joshua Starnes ComingSoon.net For the most part though, the honesty of the performances keeps everything afloat when it could drift into easy sentimentality. Rated: 6/10 Apr 25, 2011 Full Review Felix Vasquez Jr. Cinema Crazed I enjoyed it in all its cheesiness. Apr 29, 2009 Full Review Kam Williams BlackNews.com For some reason, teasing people about their skin color has become a big theme of brainless black comedies like this. Plus, it unfolds like one long Pepsi ad, with dialogue extolling the cola's virtues in virtually every scene. Rated: 1/4 May 7, 2007 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Xavier (Bow Wow), a teenage boy in Chicago, struggles with the loss of his mother and turns to roller skating as a way to deal with his angst. He and his friends are the stars of the skating rink they frequent, but this is about to change. When it closes down, they have no choice but to try out a more upscale spot, the Sweetwater Roller Rink. There, they enroll in a skating contest, and have to prove themselves to the reigning champions, headed by a skater named Sweetness.
      Director
      Malcolm D. Lee
      Executive Producer
      Dana Reid, Adam Robinson
      Screenwriter
      Norman Vance Jr.
      Distributor
      Fox
      Production Co
      State Street Pictures
      Rating
      PG-13 (Some Crude Humor|Language)
      Genre
      Comedy, Drama, Romance
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Sep 23, 2005, Wide
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Mar 1, 2013
      Box Office (Gross USA)
      $17.4M
      Sound Mix
      Surround
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