Viewed in
2009
Premise
Spike Lee's documentary of Kobe Bryant during a key game in the 2007-2008 regular season.
Who should watch
Lakers fans who like Kobe.
Thoughts
While this was far from being a good documentary, it was not a complete waste-of-time puff piece.
As a Lakers and basketball fan, I enjoyed the occasional nuggets of basketball insight that I could never get on television or even in the stands. I was mostly impressed with his encyclopedia knowledge about the league, his teammates, his opponents, even the referees. The platoon of high definition cameras help create a unique and unparalleled visual experience.
Part of the problem was my perception of him. I've been so skewed by twelve-plus years of the media that I don't know how genuine he was throughout the game and commentary. Even Kobe commented 'Man, I did not know I talk that much.' I believe his genuine level is somewhere between what the movie presented and what Bill Simmons insists.
Another problem was that it centered only on one game. In a regular season game containing only two definite Hall of Famers (him and Tim Duncan), his commentary was too specific to that game and season. Will all this hard work be obsolete in a few years?
Unless you're a big Kobe supporter who understands how to take things with a grain of salt, I cannot recommend this movie.
What I would change
Not sure.
