Critic Reviews
-
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
Really, it's just an extension of the LeBron James brand, released to coincide with a book on the same subject and designed to explore the star's humble roots even while further buffing his galactic glitter.
-
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star
It drags in places, becomes repetitive and could use a more rigid hand in editing, but it also has a kind of pleasing earnestness that would be lost in a more sophisticated effort.
-
Tom Long, Detroit News
Expertly orchestrated and unavoidably moving, More Than a Game is nevertheless your standard inspirational sports story about spunky kids who defy the odds to become champions.
-
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News
More Than a Game is more than a feature-length profile of LeBron James, and that's good news.
-
Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle
The filmmakers go a little too far with the superlatives, at times trying to portray these gifted and often immature players as bigger underdogs than they appear to be in real life. But the movie is comprehensive and interesting...
-
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
It's a resonant story about four boyhood friends, determination, sacrifice, overcoming obstacles and the mentor who guides them from rough beginnings to the national basketball championship. It's about victorious lives, not games.
-
Ian Buckwalter, DCist
While not a particularly great documentary, it succeeds hugely at what it sets out to do, aided by a dramatic storyline that would probably be dismissed as too fantastically implausible if it was in a fiction film.
-
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Common Sense Media
Inspirational basketball documentary is OK for young fans.
-
Kam Williams, Sly Fox
An inspirational bio-pic about the transcendent magic of friendship forged in pursuit of hoop dreams.
-
Linda Cook, Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)
What a cool documentary. What a cool memoir.
-
Jim Slotek, Jam! Movies
The story itself would be largely untold if Belman hadn't wheedled his way into their trust, filming his own footage and being granted use of a wealth of home-movie material.
-
Keith Cohen, Entertainment Spectrum
No make-believe Hollywood script could match this once-in-a-lifetime, all-American story.
-
Robert W. Butler, Kansas City Star
There's plenty to both cheer and ponder.
-
Steve Ramos, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
What's amazing, and what Belman captures perfectly, is how Coach Dru achieves his dream of becoming a head coach by being a role model to these boys in need.
-
Sarah Boslaugh, Playback:stl
Despite opening with a statement that basketball should be a means to an end rather than an end in itself, the film itself is about 99.9% basketball.
-
Amy Nicholson, I.E. Weekly
Like a gambler with an inside bet, you can know the final score, but still enjoy every second of the game.
-
Jeff Vice, Deseret News, Salt Lake City
The film is pretty superficial in its reporting and is by-the-numbers in its storytelling. If the subjects weren't interesting, the movie would be a complete snore.
Read all 17 critic reviews
Featured Audience Ratings
-
Typical sports docu covers the life and success of LeBron James.
-
<i>"The incredible true story of LeBron James and the Akron Fab Five"</i>
This documentary follows NBA superstar LeBron James and four of his talented teammates through the trials and tribulations of high school basketball in Ohio and James' journey to… More
<i>"The incredible true story of LeBron James and the Akron Fab Five"</i>
This documentary follows NBA superstar LeBron James and four of his talented teammates through the trials and tribulations of high school basketball in Ohio and James' journey to fame.
<center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center>
Remembering Michael Jordan is a feeling no player in basketball history could ever approach his skill and charisma. The smooth documentary More Than a Game offers the possibility that Le Bron James is everything Jordan was and maybe more. Yet it succeeds in deflecting James' glory by showing how his "Fab Five," as they called themselves at Akron's St. Vincent, St. Mary's in Ohio, overcame difficulties to become national champions.
Although the documentary follows the usual arc of win, lose, win for sports stories, similar to Hoop Dreams, I had satisfaction that I witnessed a phenomenon of history?a team that survived briefly without James(who later won a court decision to be reinstated), qualified for the nationals, lost the national championship only to come back the next year victorious. Clichéd as that might be, it's interesting history. The impact of media coverage, especially the growing awareness of James's transcendent talent, is never fully explored in favor of spreading the story amongst the five star players and coach.
Because James is a producer of this film, it's easy to see how it slides over the controversies such as his mother's financing a Hummer for him. There may be other more egregious acts, yet it's hard not to like the self-effacing star, even harder to discount the emotional challenges facing a coach who must coach his own son. Indeed the story of Coach Dru Joyce is every bit as interesting as that of the players, neophyte as he was to coaching basketball and with his son in the starting lineup. This is where director Kristopher Belman is at his best as he carefully reveals the difficulties such a situation brings.
The sly comment about James at the end of the obligatory "what happened to whom" may be the best indicator that as manipulative as this doc may be, it has a sense of humor about a serious sports story.
-
Amazing Film! Great Story of Lebron James team in Highschool and how they overcome so many obstacles to win the National Highschool championship!
This documentary follows NBA superstar LeBron James and four of his talented teammates through the trials and tribulations of high… More
Amazing Film! Great Story of Lebron James team in Highschool and how they overcome so many obstacles to win the National Highschool championship!
This documentary follows NBA superstar LeBron James and four of his talented teammates through the trials and tribulations of high school basketball in Ohio and James' journey to fame.
-
Surprisingly a pretty good doc, props to Lebron for not having a big head about da game, or at lease for this doc. Taking jews back to skoo.
-
If not for the likable team of the "Fab Five" this movie would fall flat on its face. And honestly... this movie tries a little hard to portray them as underdogs the entire movie but its far from believable on that front. I mean when you lose a total of what? 2 games in your… More
If not for the likable team of the "Fab Five" this movie would fall flat on its face. And honestly... this movie tries a little hard to portray them as underdogs the entire movie but its far from believable on that front. I mean when you lose a total of what? 2 games in your entire tenure at high school at even a national division level you are not an underdog.
Apart from that minor gripe this is an interesting documentary that features some great in-game footage, one on one interviews, family footage, and everything under the sun you could ever want to know about LeBron's humble beginnings. It also shows some insight into why "The Decision" ever happened and where the phrase "I will be taking my talents to..." came from.
-
This is one totally awesome true life coming of age sports documentary of 5 young players that over come the obstacles of growing up, while sharing and exploring the loyalties of friendship. Despite all of the hardships they faced in the process of growing up, the goals they shared… More
This is one totally awesome true life coming of age sports documentary of 5 young players that over come the obstacles of growing up, while sharing and exploring the loyalties of friendship. Despite all of the hardships they faced in the process of growing up, the goals they shared while playing basketball turned them into being well adjusted men. See this it is truly inspiring.
-
For some reason, basketball documentaries tend to be a little bit more well put together than documentaries that I have seen talking about skateboarders and surfers and everyone in between. Even the story of that eventual bust Sebastian Telfair was an interesting story to follow. Here… More
For some reason, basketball documentaries tend to be a little bit more well put together than documentaries that I have seen talking about skateboarders and surfers and everyone in between. Even the story of that eventual bust Sebastian Telfair was an interesting story to follow. Here we give kudos to the film makers for not obsessing on LeBrown James and we see the story of those who achieved their highest glory in high school basketball.
-
A remarkable documentary that shows the rise of Lebron James and his childhood friends/teammates. It begins when they were 11 years old, tracing their path to college and beyond. This doc is inspirational and should be watched by everyone.
Read all 8 featured audience ratings
Also available on
UltraViolet Retailers
Other Retailers
Subscription Services
