from Film Forum, 07/14/05Will Ferrell's soccer comedy Kicking and Screaming is still in theaters, and there are previews for Billy Bob Thornton's The Bad News Bears playing everywhere. But this week, it's Martin Lawrence's turn to play the coach of a kids' sports team. Rebound follows the misadventures of a kids' basketball coach who … well … you can probably guess the basics.
Bob Smithouser (Plugged In) says, "This movie literally sweats clichés. … Rather than give the formula a twist (as Will Ferrell did earlier this summer in Kicking and Screaming), Rebound doesn't attempt a single shot that hasn't been tossed up a hundred times. That said, it's nice to see Martin Lawrence making a family movie with some redemptive value."
David DiCerto (Catholic News Service) calls it "a diverting, if formulaic, crowd-pleaser. … Sure, it would be nice to see an idea for a kids' movie that was fresh, intelligent and inoffensive, but, even though this one lacks the first two qualities, having one out of three ain't bad these days."
Bob Rossiter (Christian Spotlight) lists a lot of problems. "Rebound is a positive movie with few objectionable scenes, but it isn't as exciting as many other films. There are some funny parts, but much of the comedy falls flat. There also aren't any twists and turns in the story line, so it is predictable." And yet he concludes, "This is a decent watch for families."
Michael Elliott (Movie Parables) calls it "the cinematic equivalent of an airball."
Mainstream critics are calling it one of the worst "family films" of the year.
