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From time to time, we like to round up the all-important, all-summarizing last sentences of the biggest new-music reviews. Today, we’re going to switch things up a bit and look at the notices given to the Fred Durst-directed The Longshots, which features Ice Cube as the doting uncle of a female football prodigy and which comes out today.
• “Worth mentioning is that the movie was directed by the Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst. ‘Dude, give me some of that Hollywood magic music,’ one imagines this hard-core rocker, in his capacity as cheesy family-film hack, saying to his (uncredited) composer. ‘Nah, man, a little more sentimental and sparkly. That’s it! Now put it everywhere, man. Awesome. Work it out, dude, I’m going to lunch.’ ” [NYT]
• “Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst, who made his directorial debut with 2007’s little-seen The Education of Charlie Banks, brings a workmanlike efficiency to The Longshots but not much style, apart from a few sequences in which he wanders away from the action to explore Minden’s ragged brick streets and crumbling buildings. And even those shots seem obligatory and lacking in inspiration. It’s almost always rewarding to watch an underdog triumph–what else could explain why movies exactly like this keep being made?–but Longshots is one underdog that’s hard to love and harder still to champion.” [Chicago Tribune]
• “Saddled with such a predictable plot and script, Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst, moonlighting as movie director, delivers a mildly diverting tale. But because The Longshots never escapes the sense of being too contrived, it never really gets the crowd on its feet.” [Toronto Star]
• “Former Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst directs in a surprisingly dull fashion, and most of the characters, including Jasmine’s mother and father, are numbingly one-dimensional. However, the saga is an undeniably heartwarming one about perseverance, hard work, and pride in community. And who could criticize that?” [USA Today]
• “Fred Durst, from the group Limp Bizkit, directs with the unsophisticated simplicity that the story requires. And in a time when so many movies throw in so much casual profanity, it’s heartening to see one where the characters, even in the most cathartic stressful moments, are able to express themselves honestly and forcefully without cursing. That attitude earns The Longshots a solid recommendation for all audiences.” [WP]
[Thanks to Radar for the reminder that this was coming out]
