Summary
Marsai Martin delights as Fantasy Football is the perfect family movie to watch this holiday season.
We review the Paramount+ film Fantasy Football, which does not contain spoilers.
We have a new film from Nickelodeon streaming on Paramount+ in Fantasy Football. The story follows a daughter who realizes she can control her father’s performance on the football field through her video game system. Is the movie worth checking out? Let’s dive in.
The movie opens with us getting an introduction to Bobby Coleman, an NFL player struggling to stay on a team because he has a problem with fumbling the football. He and his family have moved from city to city several times because he was cut and signed by new teams. Keisha, his wife, is hoping that this pit stop in Atlanta means they will stay awhile because she’s exhausted from picking up and moving the family from town to town.
Next, Bobby sits down to talk to his daughter Callie, who is also hoping that her father sticks around with his latest team because she hasn’t attempted to make any new friends for fear of having to move again. We get a cute little bonding moment between the two, including Callie talking about the upcoming season and some analytics that could help her dad thrive throughout the year. Funny enough, Bobby acts like the rest of the old heads when talking about analytics and has no clue what they are or mean.
We see Bobby continue to struggle with trying to make it. First, his coach tells him that he will be on the practice squad. Next, the star running back on the team invites him to his party and kicks his ass in Madden. Then, as they leave, he autographs a copy of Madden for his daughter, causing a massive blowup on the way home. Finally, Bobby pulls the car over and attempts to throw away the game, but lightning strikes them simultaneously. Of course, this causes the premise of the film to unfold.
When I turned on Fantasy Football, I wanted to have some fun, which I had. You have a simple story that works, but what impressed me was the editing from Sarah Lucky. Lucky perfectly edited together the montage of the on-the-field action to the game, which I can’t imagine was easy. However, it felt smooth and authentic, making the experience enjoyable. Furthermore, the movie is light-hearted so you can relax with the whole family.
I remember seeing Marsai Martin in the movie Little and thinking she would be a star. She is a DELIGHT in this film that plays the part of Callie perfectly. Not only is she a ray of sunshine, but her sarcastic tone with Bobby throughout the film makes for some good comedic moments. Kelly Rowland and Omari Hardwick are both fun in their roles. Although, I will say that Tony Gonzalez might have a future as a coach in the NFL because he was a blast in the part of Coach Evans.
Overall, Fantasy Football doesn’t try to be more than it needs to be, which makes for a good time. As a result, you have a unique story that families can sit around and enjoy together during the holiday season. Grab the kids, grab some snacks, and have a fun family night.
What did you think of the Paramount+ film Fantasy Football? Comment below.
