He doesn’t hurt the movie, but he doesn’t lift it either. With the basketball scenes lacking luster, it comes down to the dramatic elements where Finely is fine. Part of the problem could be that lead actor Greg Finley doesn’t have the basketball skills required to give these scenes more energy, but the way it was filmed did him no favors. The basketball games look more like footage of an over 40 YMCA rec league than a group of NBA hopefuls fighting to make it in the country’s most exclusive sporting league. Overall, the film looks just fine, but the action scenes have dynamic elements. The most significant weights dragging the movie down are its cinematography and its star.

There are also a few good performances from the supporting cast that buoy the movie. People love sports movies in general we also love redemption stories meaning Abeckaser and Macia are off to a good start. There are a lot of things working in the movie’s favor. Blackjack is too good to be considered bad but is it good enough to recommend is the question. Others where I have to decide if something is so bad it could be entertaining. There are a few instances where something is good but won’t appeal to a large market. Generally, I have a pretty easy time deciding if a film is recommendable or not. Jackie’s chance at a comeback starts October 30th with the release of “Blackjack: The Jackie Ryan Story” in a limited number of theaters and On Demand. Sportswriter Peter Vescey will give Jackie his last best shot by getting him a tryout with the New Jersey Nets. Jackie is single, his best friend is a criminal with a death wish, and he has finally resigned himself to a lifetime of working construction just like his grandfather, father, and brother instead of one playing basketball. Abeckaser and writer Antonio Macia focused their film on Jackie’s life’s lowest point. With fame comes expectations, expectations that resulted in Jackie being considered one of the biggest wastes of talent in basketball history. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Jakie rose to fame in high school, earning him praise as the white Michael Jordan. Jackie “Blackjack” Ryan is a legend on the basketball courts of New York City.

Blackjack the jack ryan story