Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Thunderstruck Blu-ray Movie Review

Strange magic. If it's even magic.

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 7, 2012

It’s hard to believe it’s been a decade since the release of “Like Mike,” leaving “Thunderstruck” ample room to pick up where the teen-centric sports fantasy left off. However, while “Like Mike” at least made a faint attempt to conjure curiosity concerning the iffy magic dust it was spreading, “Thunderstruck” doesn’t even attempt to pinpoint its basketball enchantment. It’s a peculiar creative choice in an otherwise bland, feebly acted comedy, concentrating more on laughs and half-realized messages of adolescent responsibility than solidifying a truly bizarre premise, at least to a point where it appears as though the production actually cared about telling a coherent story.

A hapless teen with dreams of high school basketball stardom, Brian (Taylor Gray) can’t help but embarrass himself in front of his classmates, stuck as a lowly team manager under Coach Amross (Jim Belushi) and Assistant Coach Dan (Robert Belushi). A monster fan of Oklahoma City Thunder player Kevin Durant (playing himself), Brian is thrilled to take in a game with his father (William Ragsdale). Winning an opportunity to compete in a halftime half-court shot contest, Brian bungles his moment in the spotlight, only to meet Kevin on the sidelines, openly wishing he had the superstar’s talent. Magically, Kevin and Brian swap basketball skills, leaving the NBA player with little success on the court, while the teen enjoys the glory of his newfound powers, becoming a key member of his school’s team. Riding a wave of victories, Brian loses sight of what’s important to him, ditching friends and mangling a good thing with crush Isabel (Tristin Mays). Piecing together his client’s misfortune, Kevin’s agent Alan (Brandon T. Jackson) works feverishly to reunite the pair, hoping to restore the star’s ability before he’s fired from the Thunder.

I’m all for movies willing to trim a little scripted fat, but there is an abyssal storytelling hole in “Thunderstruck” that I can’t believe isn’t addressed. That whoosh of magic that swaps basketball abilities between Kevin and Brian? Never explained. It just is, with the production looking to sneak a bizarre concept past the viewer without even trying to articulate how such an event came to be. There’s no irate leprechaun, no witch with a grudge, not even a mischievous alien presence. The supernatural event simply passes on by without a second thought, as though kids around the world were stealing pro athlete skills on a daily basis. With a feature as simplistic and routine as “Thunderstruck,” the least the screenplay could’ve offered was a straightforward, perhaps blessedly outrageous explanation for the miracle.

With undefined magic in the air, “Thunderstruck” doesn’t bother to color outside the lines, catching director John Whitesell (“Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son”) guiding the film in a weirdly unenthused manner. Of course, with such formulaic tale to contend with, it makes perfect sense to find the drama tedious, the comedy irritating (Whitesell loves to whack people in the crotch with basketballs), and the messages muffled. Brian doesn’t actually grow as a character during the movie, showing little awareness of his alienating rise in popularity, casually ditching friends when an opportunity to thrash opponents on the court arrives. Trouble is, Gray plays the character so earnestly (he’s Nickelodeon-trained after all), it’s impossible to believe Brian would grow into a ghoul overnight (the arc is reminiscent of “Teen Wolf”). The same goes with the boy’s relationship with Isabel, which, like everything else in this feature, is left unexplained and rendered unnatural.

I recognize that complaining about characterization in a picture built solely to market a basketball star (and shoes, with Nike commercials worked into the fabric of the film) is ludicrous, but “Thunderstruck” often registers as lazy, dodging storytelling effort whenever it can. After all, this leaves more room for two generations of Belushis to trade improvisations, which is what most Blu-ray buyers have paid to see, right?

Thunderstruck Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) is generally clean and appealing, befitting an HD-shot production that employs a bright color palette. Hues are terrific, with bold, balanced primaries sustaining the cartoon atmosphere of the picture, finding costumes a particular highlight, popping with blues and yellows. Shadow detail is satisfactory, preserving fabrics and low-lit encounters, while evening interactions maintain distances. Skintones are natural. Detail convinces, delivering on facial responses and props, while stadium events with big crowds and promotional commotion are easily surveyed. It's generally a crisp viewing experience that doesn't stretch with any particular cinematographic might, with a few softer moments and some shot imperfections easily detected. Print is pristine.

Thunderstruck Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix carries a nicely immersive momentum during basketball sequences, with crowd elements and court intensity generating a circular feel that eases the listener into the action. Dialogue exchanges are crisp and frontal, with Durant's mumbling easy to follow, while the rest of the trained cast supplies crisp, sharp performances. Soundtrack selections are full, with a satisfactory low-end response to assist the beats (crowd swelling also triggers some pleasing rumble), while scoring is thin but supportive, sustaining a workable background presence. Directional activity is limited, but a few court antics introduce some energy to the track.

Thunderstruck Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "KD's Klinic" (5:27, HD) provides a basic run-through of the plot with the cast and crew before segueing into a breakdown of basketball basics, where the production strived to bring a little in-game realism to the fantasy. Talk also centers on Gray, who was truly invested in the mechanics of the game, hoping to challenge Durant and score on the hoops legend while cameras rolled.

• "From Backboards to Clapboards" (6:01, HD) is devoted to the celebration of Kevin Durant: Actor. Cast and crew gather to wax rhapsodic about the basketball behemoth's skill in front of the camera, where it took only a few shots before Durant was ready to hang with the professionals, banging around improvisations with Gray and Belushi. There's also a discussion of Durant's ability to play poorly for the camera, with director Whitesell hoping he hasn't ruined the player's golden shot skills for good.

• "Coach Z" (3:22, HD) is a very strange featurette that finds Belushi remaining in-character to chat up Coach Z's decades of dedication to basketball and the various high school teams he's guided over the years. While intended to be amusing, it's too short and bizarre to register as comedy.

• "Tristin Mays's Video Blog" (3:13, HD) hands a camera to the lead actress, who motors around the set to spy on her co-stars. It's a swiftly edited featurette, but there's some sense of on-set life here to savor, helping to capture the mood of the production. It's minor but welcome.

• Deleted Scenes (4:45, HD) provide additional time with Brian and his family, with father Joe basically attempting to talk his son out of his lofty basketball dreams. Further flirtations between Brian and Isabel are included, along with moment that finds Durant accepting shooting advice from his acupuncturist.

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included.

Thunderstruck Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Durant isn't an actor, but he's amiable enough, showing a lack of on-screen arrogance that's appealing, keeping "Thunderstruck" gentle when the supporting cast gets rowdy trying to secure laughs. Again, this is such a casually nutty picture, it really should coast on its own peculiarity, finding pockets of originality as it lumbers to a predictable finale.