WhiteMenCantJump Review: 2023's Remake Forgoes Funny For Undercooked Drama
White Men Can’t Jump, which was first released in 1992, has gotten the remake treatment. It isn’t the first film, or the last, from the last 50 years to be adapted for modern audiences. Nostalgia has dominated the public consciousness, or so the studios say. So, let’s picture this: You want to watch White Men Can’t Jump, and there are now two versions on Hulu with 2023 remake, which was directed by Calmatic from a screenplay by Kenya Barris and Doug Hall.
The remake falls short as a comedy. A handful of zingers are made funny by a likable, well-cast ensemble but the script lacks the whip-smart, creative flair of the original. While certain adjustments were made to remove the insensitivity prevalent in 90s cinema, Barris and Hall’s script is stilted and toothless. The dialogue is perfunctory and lacking in personality. One particular moment distills the stark difference between the new script and Ron Shelton’s original.
Further exasperating the lack of fun is the film’s drama. The 1992 movie had dramatic moments but was ultimately a comedy. This one has two competing stories, the one with Kamal regaining his love of basketball after feeling like a failure to his father Benji , who also suffers from MS. The other is Jeremy’s inability to overcome the fact that he is too injured to return to basketball as a profession.
The remake seems like a cash grab, a vehicle to launch Harlow into the acting world. As white men are often jeered for stepping into the predominantly Black-dominated hip-hop world, White Men Can’t Jump allows Harlow to play into what he goes through as the titular white man of the film. And since this is his acting debut, he needs to be good — and he is.
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