Summary
Sinqua Walls and Jack Harlow are a dynamic pairing making 2023’s White Men Can’t Jump a fun remake that stands out on its own.
We review the 2023 Hulu film White Men Can’t Jump, which does not contain spoilers.
In 1992, Sidney Deane and Billy Hoyle hit the courts as an unlikely duo in White Men Can’t Jump. Fast forward over thirty years later, and we have Kamal and Jeremy filling those shoes in a remake by 20th Century Fox.
Can the film capture any of the magic of the original? Or will it be another unneeded Hollywood remake?
White Men Can’t Jump (2023) Review and Plot Summary
White Men Can’t Jump follows the story of two basketball players who think they are complete opposites and discover they might have much more in common than they imagined. The film stars Sinqua Walls and Jack Harlow in the lead roles.
We meet Kamal Allen, one of the best players in High School, and his father, Benji, who is very reminiscent of Lavar Ball. After much hype, we fast forward ten years.
They are on the court discussing the upcoming two on two tournaments with a $25 thousand grand prize. Kamal said he isn’t playing in the tournament. Shortly after, we meet Jeremy, a white kid with the vibe of a hippy that everyone makes fun of.
Moments later, the ball dribbles towards Jeremy, who criticizes Kamal on his game, making him mad. Kamal challenges him to a shoot-off and ultimately loses to Jeremy after underestimating him.
Of course, Jeremy and Kamal are down on their luck. Kamal is trying to make ends meet to put a roof over his wife and kids’ heads, while Jeremy is trying to make a run for the G-League.
Because of their struggles, Kamal approaches Jeremy to hustle some games at Venice Beach to get the money together to play in the 25 grand tournaments together.
If there were one hundred remakes in Hollywood, White Men Can’t Jump would be the last film I wanted to see remade.
If there were a thousand remakes in Hollywood, White Men Can’t Jump would be the last film I wanted to see remade.
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I believe you know where I am going with this by now. I loved the original. The chemistry between Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson was unmatched. I was not looking forward to watching this movie and was ready to come out guns blazing.
That said, the writing was pure genius. I laughed over and over again that I lost count. It has some perfect one-liners that I am sure will be used by many after watching.
Writers Kenya Barris and Doug Hall wisely didn’t try to make a word-for-word remake. Instead, they paid homage to the original film while making this version a modern take on that story. It’s such a good script.
While Kamal was written much differently from Sidney, Jeremy was written almost to a T in how I would picture Billy in 2023. From the clothes to the meditation to the selling of detox juices, it’s almost as if we could question if Billy is Jeremy’s father.
Speaking of Jeremy, Jack Harlow has unspeakable and unteachable charisma that lit up the screen that will forever make me a fan. I can’t wait to see him in more comedies because his timing is impeccable. Plus, he and Sinqua Walls (also great) have great chemistry on and off the court.
Is White Men Can’t Jump Good or Bad?
White Men Can’t Jump might be the biggest surprise of 2023 so far. It’s very similar to the original, which I could see myself revisiting quite a bit in the future.
Is White Men Can’t Jump Worth Watching?
White Men Can’t Jump is worth watching. If you are looking for a sign to ignore the thoughts of “why are they remaking this,” this is that sign. It’s not the original, which is fine, but it’s worthy of something that stands out on its own. The electric pairing of Sinqua Walls and Jack Harlow factored with a banger of a soundtrack and a good script; a great time is to be had.
What did you think of the 2023 Hulu film White Men Can’t Jump? Comment below.
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