Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		2.5

Lottery Ticket Blu-ray Movie Review

4 8 15 16 23 42... don't fail me now!

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown December 13, 2010

There aren't many simple truths left in this world, but one has weathered the ages: every man, zealot and skeptic alike, worships something. Whether by design or disorder -- be it deity, philosophy, reason, success, profession, profit, person, child, possession or, as is more and more often the case, one's self -- every man devotes his heart and soul to whatever god or gods he deems worthy of his fervor. For many, that god is the Almighty Dollar; that devious beast called money, wealth, and mammon, the love of which has proven itself to be the root of untold evils. Its appetite is insatiable, its destructive nature frightening, its siren song overwhelming. It's been the fall of many a man, and the master of countless more.

Too heavy an opening for a review of a comedy starring Bow Wow and Ice Cube? Well then, prepare yourself. It's the same weighty sermon that leaves Lottery Ticket buckling at the knees. Earnest but all too cheesy, first-time director Erik White's semi-star-studded farce aims much too high and hits much too low, indulging in cheap allegory and even cheaper laughs. Charming? I'll give it that. Memorable? Hardly.

Might want to hold onto that one a little tighter, Kev...

When down-on-his-luck Foot Locker employee Kevin Carson (Bow Wow) scores a 370-million dollar lottery ticket, he has to survive a three-day holiday weekend in the projects before he can claim his reward. (Plot holes? Already? Yep, with plenty more to come.) Friends, enemies and complete strangers come out of the community woodwork, each one vying for a piece of Kevin's prize. A thug named Lorenzo (Gbenga Akinnagbe) tries to muscle the ticket away, a greedy temptress named Nikki (Teairra Marí) moves in for a different kind of kill, and a shameless pastor (Mike Epps) and several shady businessmen try to weasel their way into the young man's life. It seems everyone wants to pick his pocket, leaving Kevin unsure of who he can trust. Luckily, his best friends Benny (Brandon T. Jackson) and Stacy (Naturi Naughton) stay true, and a crotchety old man named Mr. Washington (Ice Cube, the film's biggest asset) steps in to help Kevin make it through the weekend in one piece.

Lottery Ticket is one of those comedies; a tiresome exercise in mediocrity that screams "direct-to-video" (despite spending two months in theaters and earning a respectable $24 million). Story, performances, pacing, humor, dialogue... it's tough to pinpoint exactly what doesn't work, mainly because everything comes up short in one way or another. Screenwriter Abdul Williams' preachy subtext is simplified and negated to the point of absurdity, inner-city stereotypes are exploited for increasingly obsolete gags, jarring tonal shifts are a disruption, chase scenes and action sequences feel as if they belong in an entirely different movie, and the shallow sermon that unfolds is largely littered with a cast of two-dimensional cartoon characters, few of whom are as endearing as they are eccentric. (With the exception of Mr. Washington. Ice Cube wrestled a grin out of me every time he walked on screen.) It doesn't help that events unfold with predictable precision and lowest-common-denominator subplots lurk around every street corner (minus one refreshing gimmick involving Kevin's career aspirations). Through it all, the director's missteps feel strangely deliberate, as if the prayers he whispered at the Altar of Tyler Perry were at long last being answered.

Every comedy has its crowd though, and Lottery Ticket isn't as bad as I'm probably making it out to be. It didn't appeal to my particular sensibilities, that much is sure. But the whole of the film has a healthy pulse, its cast clearly had a blast on set and, having surveyed the field of 2010 comedies, I can say with some confidence that it could have been a lot worse. In many ways, White even shows himself to be a more capable director than Tyler Perry, and stays off camera while doing so. Be that as it may, Lottery Ticket is an uneven niche film in an already niche subgenre. It isn't accessible enough to drum up mass appeal, clever enough to completely win over its target audience, or surprising enough to score many lingering laughs. It merely treads water; an average comedy in need of a stronger supporting cast, a sharper script, and a more meaningful endgame. I'd suggest sticking with a rental or snagging a copy from Amazon when the risk doesn't outweigh the reward.

Lottery Ticket Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Lottery Ticket wins big with a confident, capable 1080p/VC-1 encoded transfer; an oft-times striking, technically proficient presentation that, barring a few inconsistencies, surpassed my admittedly low expectations. Colors are rich and vibrant, primaries pack surprising punch, and skintones are warm and lifelike. Depth and dimensionality are also impressive, even if the production seems a bit too glossy for its own good. Moreover, black levels are satisfying (minus a handful of less-than-spectacular nighttime shots), delineation is revealing, and detail stands firm, no matter the opponent. Faces and fabrics are teeming with well-resolved fine textures, shots of Kevin's neighborhood are crisp and clean, and edge definition, while a bit soft on occasion, isn't prone to ringing or other instabilities. Better still, artifacting, banding, aliasing, smearing and crush call in sick, and only a few brief bursts of noise invade the proceedings. All in all, Warner's encode delivers.

Lottery Ticket Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Warner's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is more difficult to evaluate, primarily because Lottery Ticket's sound design doesn't inspire much enthusiasm. Dialogue is strong, clear and nicely centered -- a particular plus when it comes to a chatty ensemble comedy -- and the film's beat-blazing hip-hop soundtrack keeps the LFE channel busy. But there isn't much else that warrants praise. Rear speaker activity is rather sparse whenever crowds aren't swarming Kevin or music isn't flooding the soundfield, directionality is a tad imprecise and altogether underwhelming, pans are adequate but unremarkable, and dynamics fizzle whenever Bow Wow or Ice Cube strike up a conversation. Again, it all seems to fall in line with White's established atmosphere, but it simply isn't as playful or rambunctious as the characters that fill the screen. Ultimately, it's decent but forgettable.

Lottery Ticket Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Lottery Ticket haphazardly slaps together a thirty-minute selection of rapidfire features, few of which actually explore the making of the film itself. Only the most unabashed Ticket fans will find anything to enjoy here.

• Custom Kicks (HD, 11 minutes): Bow Wow hosts this custom sneaker design featurette and subsequently delves into the film's most unique subplot.
• Junior's Guide to the Corner Store (HD, 6 minutes): Cast and crew define and dissect the neighborhood corner store, but ultimately don't offer any substantial insight into the film or its locales. Still, it gives Jr. the chance to say "co'na sto" again and again, so there's that.
• Everybody's In (HD, 7 minutes): A barebones casting EPK with plenty of personality to go around.
• The Du-Rag Model (HD, 2 minutes): Bill Bellamy digs into everything that makes his character tick.
• Deleted Scenes (HD, 5 minutes): Little of note, even less of value.



Lottery Ticket Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 




Lottery Ticket is the sort of comedy you rent if nothing else is available. It isn't a complete waste of celluloid (if nothing else, its charismatic character actors give their all), but it also isn't something many filmfans will thoroughly enjoy. Warner's Blu-ray release is more competent -- its excellent video transfer is a boon -- but its shrug-inducing DTS-HD Master Audio track and lackluster supplemental package spoil whatever fun there is to be had. If Lottery Ticket piques your curiosity, add it to your Netflix queue or sacrifice a dollar to Red Box before making any rash decisions. The odds are against you.