It’s easy to think that the latest offering on Disney+ will be yet another inspirational, underdog sports movie. After all, the film concerns a 16-year-old Asian-American high-school student who sets out to prove that he can perform a slam dunk despite his underwhelming 5’8” height. So you can expect that by the end of Chang Can Dunk the titular hero will defy the odds, defeat his foe and win the hearts of everyone concerned. Right?
Well, yes and no. Writer-director Jingyi Shao covers all those bases (wrong sport, I know), including the obligatory training montage and the introduction of a wholesome romantic interest. But the filmmaker, making his feature debut, also has more interesting things in mind, delivering a darker, more complex story that nonetheless proves utterly heartwarming by the end.
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Chang Can Dunk
The Bottom Line A three-pointer.
Release date: Friday, March 10 (Disney+)
Cast: Bloom Li, Dexter Darden, Ben Wang, Zoe Renee, Chase Liefeld
Director-screenwriter: Jingi Shao
Rated PG,1 hour 48 minutes
At the story’s beginning, Chang (Bloom Li, making a terrific feature debut, in which he’s onscreen nearly every minute) is shown to be a basketball fanatic, his hero being the late Kobe Bryant. Along with his supportive best friend Bo (Ben Wang), he’s in the high school marching band, where he meets and becomes quickly enamored of its newest member, Kristy (Zoe Renee, charming).
He has a rival for Kristy’s affections — his former best friend Matt (Chase Liefeld), the star player of the school’s basketball team. Their romantic competition soon fuels a reckless bet on Chang’s part, namely that he can publicly do a slam dunk before the homecoming dance a mere ten weeks away. The stakes are high, with Matt offering up an authentic Kobe Bryant jersey and Chang a rare Pokémon card.
After contemplating numerous animal-themed nicknames (presented in an amusing wildlife montage), Chang declares himself the “Red Panda.” He also enlists the services of Deandre (Dexter Darden of the Maze Runner films), a supposed former NBA player turned Verizon store salesman, to be his personal Mr. Miyagi, I mean, coach. All of these activities fall under the radar of Chang’s single mother (Mardy Ma, excellent), a nurse who works very long hours. And needless to say, since this is a film geared to younger audiences, the videos showcasing Chang’s hard-working preparations soon go viral.
So far, so familiar. But just when you think the story must have reached its conclusion, the film takes an unexpected turn that adds deeper levels and subtle nuances. Suffice it to say that Chang Can Dunk indeed turns out to be an underdog redemption tale, but not in the way you’d expect.
The filmmaker demonstrates considerable talent with both his writing and directing, providing amusing dialogue that rings true and complex characterizations defying easy stereotypes. The loving but complicated relationship between Chang and his supportive but beleaguered mother is particularly well drawn, with the two frequently speaking (subtitled) Chinese to each during heated moments. And the golden-haired Matt turns out to be not a cardboard villain, but rather a decent kid who simply gets carried away with himself sometimes.
Shao also infuses the tale with cleverly playful visual touches, such as the “Chang Swag Meter” onscreen graphic that appears during his participation in an impromptu basketball pickup game.
You’ll have to see the movie to find out whether or not Chang can indeed dunk. But whether he can or not, Chang Can Dunk delivers a valuable message that should certainly resonate with its target audience.
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