White Men Can't Jump

Starring: Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson

Fitfully amusing, but despite all the huffing and puffing in the lively basketball scenes (and let’s face it; they don’t count since the camera can make anybody look like Michael Jordan), at the end I hadn’t the slightest idea what this picture was about. And frankly, I’m not sure Shelton did either. I think he’s a talented guy, but here either his alter-ego ran away with him (i.e. he fantasizes about being the white guy who can hang with the brothers on the courts) or he just let himself be undone by cheap convention (unlike the wonderful “Bull Durham”). Either way, the picture plays like a series of blackout sketches, with a lot of swearwords, and it doesn’t amount to a hill of beans. Not only that, but Wesley walks all the time. (4/1/92)