I'm very glad to see that someone out there still remembers the "Roller Disco" craze that swept the nation after "disco dancing" started it's decline. But, I'm not sure WHO Malcolm D. Lee was appealing to when directing this movie, either the young 2000's generation or the thirty-something's that were coming of age when "roller disco" was a house-hold term? Straight up...the movie was extremely well-cast, surprisingly so, with most of it's stars not even born yet during the time of the original skate craze. Bow Wow's performance is flawless and nicely complimented by his "pose" of best friends, back-up skaters, that produce much of the film's comedic value. Chi McBride's character is great and also very funny. Jurnee Smollett is right on target with her role as "Tori", the new girl in town, "ugly duckling brace-face" turn "swan" by the end of the movie. However, the movie does lack in several areas with a few "setting flaws". In the opening, at the older rink, we hear the song "Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll" a song by Vaughn Mason & Crew that debuted in 1979; the movie takes place in the summer of 1978. Also, during the opening credits skating scene, we see a young skater with "light-up" quad wheels, an item that just showed up on the market a few years ago...would have been impossible in '78. For the big skate competition, Bow Wow's crew chooses the song "Le Freak" from Chic, but Sweetness's gang "steals" the song and skates to it first; this is very reminiscent of 2000's "Bring It On"...(spirit fingers!!!) Furthermore, the kid's state that they don't know who the Bee Gees are ...which I find impossible not to have even heard of the "Gibb Brothers" in 1978, yet the kids are all ready to dazzle skating audiences with Chic's "Le Freak", a song that BARELY debuted in '78. There is a DJ at the run-down, older rink who is perfect and right on the mark with a "late '70s DJ"...and yet, at the awesome Sweet Water Roller Rink, the DJ looks like a throwback to 1968, donning hippie threads, a peace-symbol necklace and a larger-than-life afro. A very frail looking Wesley Jonathan plays "Sweetness" with a crew of oddball skaters who look like they fell out of a Salvation Army drop-off box, wearing every piece of over-the-top 1970s gaudy clothing they could find....do very little to the believability of the setting. Though some of the setting is pretty good, with hairstyles, cars and furniture...yet Director Lee goes seriously wrong again, this time in the quintessential area of '70s teen slang; we hear a kid mention "digits" when referring to a phone number, and another teen states "WHATEVER!!!", two terms clearly from the 1990s. This lack of attention to little details throughout the picture ruin the fantasy of being back in the good old days of 1978, let a lone a skating rink! Lee should have paid a bit closer attention to "Roller Boogie", "Skate Town, USA", and "Xanadu" for better tips on what people in the late 70s were wearing to roller rinks back in "the day". Also, 1978 also seems a bit too early for disco skating to be such a big phenomenon in such a small town...when in actuality, the fad didn't sweep the nation until mid 1979, early 1980. Watch this movie for the fun skating scenes and NOT the coming of age story Lee tries so desperately to push on his audience. If you remember 1978, and/or were apart of the original roller disco fad, that originated in NYC, like I was, look for the "flaws" that I mentioned...they're hard to miss. Furthermore, the great 70's songs you hear throughout the movie...don't expect to hear them on the CD soundtrack; they're not there!?!
Review of Roll Bounce
