In an exciting atmosphere, this documentary, follows the aspiring story of LeBron James, NBA superstar, who passes through many challenges in his way to fame with his four talented friends, but he manages to achieve his dream.
Expertly orchestrated and unavoidably moving, More Than a Game is nevertheless your standard inspirational sports story about spunky kids who defy the odds to become champions.
While not a particularly great documentary, it succeeds hugely at what it sets out to do, aided by a dramatic storyline that would probably be dismissed as too fantastically implausible if it was in a fiction film.
It drags in places, becomes repetitive and could use a more rigid hand in editing, but it also has a kind of pleasing earnestness that would be lost in a more sophisticated effort.
The story itself would be largely untold if Belman hadn't wheedled his way into their trust, filming his own footage and being granted use of a wealth of home-movie material.
More Than a Game is more than a feature-length profile of LeBron James, and that's good news.
San Francisco Chronicle
October 16, 2009
The filmmakers go a little too far with the superlatives, at times trying to portray these gifted and often immature players as bigger underdogs than they appear to be in real life. But the movie is comprehensive and interesting...
What's amazing, and what Belman captures perfectly, is how Coach Dru achieves his dream of becoming a head coach by being a role model to these boys in need.
Really, it's just an extension of the LeBron James brand, released to coincide with a book on the same subject and designed to explore the star's humble roots even while further buffing his galactic glitter.
