In what seems to be the year of the biopic, Shooting Stars comes as somewhat of an anomaly. Produced by Peacock and directed by Chris Robinson, the film follows the early life of Lebron James and the rest of the “Fab Five” of his high school days playing for powerhouse St. Vincent St. Mary’s High School in Akron Ohio. Yet, with such a prominent figure in James being featured, and being released in the midst of the NBA Playoffs, there was shockingly little marketing surrounding this movie. So little, in fact, that I didn’t even realize the movie was about LeBron until I read the description 30 seconds before hitting play. It’s a shame because the film actually delivers on plenty of fun and entertainment.
Starring Mookie Cook as Lebron, the film not only follows his story, but also that of the rest of his childhood friends and teammates who ended up as one of the best high school teams in the entire country. Caleb McLaughlin of Stranger Things fame also stars as Lil Dru Joyce III and delivers a standout performance in the film. Yet, it was apparent all of the actors who played each of the fab five, including Cook, McLaughlin, Avery S. Wills Jr as Willie McGee, Khalil Everage as Sian Cotton and Scoot Henderson as Romeo Travis, all had tremendous chemistry with each other. The movie hinged on the belief that these five have been friends their whole lives, and they each deliver on screen. Wood Harris, who plays Coach Dru Joyce II, and Dermot Mulroney, who plays Coach Kieth Dambrot, each also deliver solid performances on screen portraying the men who influenced these young boys’ lives on and off the court.
I was also impressed with how well the movie gave each character their own moments and growth. It could have been so easy to just make this solely about LeBron and then just move on, but Shooting Stars smartly decided against this. Instead, it gave so much more character to the movie and made me feel even more connected to each character’s story.
Apart from the acting, however, I felt the plot was very safe. Make no mistake, Shooting Stars is extremely by the books. Just take your standard biopic and give it a basketball, and then you have this movie. It doesn’t necessarily detract from the film, but it doesn’t make it feel memorable either. It’s one of those films that you’ll remember years from now when it’s on tv and you can put on while you clean the house.
It’s a shame they didn’t take more risks, because it really was enjoyable, just not all that different from every other biopic or even other basketball movies. And in a year where we’ve seen a number of them come out, the filmmakers needed to do something to stand out. Chang Can Dunk, for example, leans heavily into the dynamics of an Asian American family. Air explores behind-the-scenes of one of the greatest basketball shoe deals ever made. Even Somewhere in Queens leans into family dynamics in a basketball adjacent film. Each of these did something unique that Shooting Stars solely needed. At the very least, the film’s interesting premise, characters and entertainment value helped it rise above the disaster that was Sweetwater.
I wouldn’t be talking about a basketball movie if I didn’t bring up the actual basketball scenes. And boy there were plenty. Luckily, Shooting Stars took extra care to make these scenes feel great. It was actually some of the better sports sequences I’ve seen from a movie recently. Robinson certainly did a good job directing these moments, making them action packed but also knowing when to not drag them on. And, most importantly, it seemed like they had genuine fun making these parts of the movie, and that’s what matters. Plus it helps that the main 5 actors can actually play ball, so that just upped the believability factor.
Final Thoughts
Shooting Stars is an enjoyable, yet not too memorable, basketball biopic about the life of young LeBron James. Where the film shines in acting and action sequences, it lacks in that “it” factor to really make it stand out. That said, the film is nonetheless entertaining and great for a daytime watch on a Saturday afternoon. It’s not one I would actively seek out a second time, but amongst the likes of other basketball films, it’s at least entertaining enough to be worthy of a first time viewing.
