Solemplex To me, this movie is perfection.

ScoobyWell Great visuals, story delivers no surprises

Curapedi I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Darin One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

nickolai-22831 It was a great movie. Og you love basketball you should see this

stephenpaultaylor This is the story of a coach who bucks the system to ensure that the players on his basketball team not only become a stellar team, but attain a good education to boot. It's another one of those paint-by-number sports movies with a tough-as-nails coach and a rebellious team that he has to whip into shape. The film puts the spotlight on an education system that places more emphasis on producing winning players than producing winning students with lots of opportunities in life.It's not a bad movie, but it's not a great movie. It's predictable. You know the ending from the start of the movie. That's not a terrible thing, considering that in movies like this, often it's the journey that counts more than the end product. It's a movie full of life lessons and messages about teamwork, fulfilling your personal destiny and ambitiously pursuing goals without being complacent. The film has a good moral backbone.There are more than enough syrupy, cringe-inducing moments to choke a horse. The movie relies heavily on sentiment and cliché to drive its point home. Every movie has the potential of really being a piece of art, but when a film relies on overused tropes, it satisfies the audience without challenging them. Therefore, the movie never feels like it's doing something new. The movie is filmed well. It looks great. It's crisp and full lof fluid camera movements.. From the lighting to the sets, the movie is made well. The training Carter puts his team through is rough. You feel the pain of the team when they constantly have to endure suicide runs and pushups, but you also see the benefits of really striving to be your best. You see the benefits of practice, repetition and training. The sports scenes are well-choreographed and filmed. The characters are mostly likable. The contrast between Coach Carter and the principal is a strong element of the movie (she cares less about the kids' educations and more about having a winning team). At one point, the principal says something to the effect of "Playing on this team could be the best time of their lives". At this point, it hits you that these kids really don't have a chance to become anything with a school system that sees them as simply members of a winning team as opposed to young people full of potential.This is what sets Coach Carter apart from other sports movies. The Coach has a goal that is bigger and nobler than simply having a winning team. He cares about the kids and their futures. The scenes with Samuel Jackson are strong, for the most part. He's a good actor; convincing, solid and a force to be reckoned with. However, a number of the other younger actors aren't good enough to carry a scene, which leaves the movie feeling patchy. A lot of the dialogue feels recycled and trite. For example, there is a scene with a needy basketball player trying to convince his "pregnant" girlfriend to work things out with him. The dialogue feels like it's lifted straight from a soap opera. It doesn't ring true. It's an okay movie. It's not amazing. It's not a great piece of art. It's capable filmmaking, decent acting and a worthwhile, if predictable story. It offers food for thought about the state of education in America today and Jackson's performance makes it worth watching. I'd give it a 6/10.

mmellenberger Richmond High School's basketball team is a joke. The players can't work together and hardly ever show up for school on a regular basis. Enter Ken Carter, the owner of a local sporting goods store, and alumni of Richmond. Ken is offered the basketball coaching job at his alma mater. Immediately upon accepting the offer, Coach Carter lays down the law and requires all of his players to sign a contract stating that they will attend every class and maintain at least a 2.3 GPA. After conditioning his team into shape, they go on to enjoy an undefeated season. However, the season is cut short after several members of the team fail their classes and Coach Carter locks up the gym and cancels all further practices and games. Coach Carter is not your average cliché tale of the underdog team beating the odds and going on to win the state championship. This film, based on a true story, tells of a basketball coach who makes it his mission to not only help the team win games, but also give them the opportunity to attend college by forcing them to focus on their grades as well. Besides just focusing on the aspect of basketball in the movie, it also shows us the individual struggles in the lives of the young men. These problems range from teen pregnancy to drug dealing and gang-related activity. These are very real problems in some societies today, and this helps make the movie more relatable. It is the ability to relate to some aspects of this movie that contributes to the overall emotion of the film. Coach Carter is an inspiring story about perseverance and it conveys the message that even what seems impossible can ultimately be achieved.Samuel L. Jackson portrays Coach Carter in the movie. As per usual when it comes to Jackson's performances, he maintains a serious tone and a steely resolve. This was a crucial element in Jackson's role as Coach Carter because he had to be a strict and disciplinary authority figure. There were also some of Jackson's lines in the film that were comical, which, while still being somewhat serious, he delivered perfectly. A job well done, Samuel L. Jackson.Furthermore, in my opinion, Rick Gonzalez delivered the most memorable performance in the film, other than Jackson's Coach Carter. Gonzalez's character, Timo Cruz, is a troubled kid mixed up in his cousin's gang activity. After initially quitting, he wants to return to the team and will do whatever it takes to get back on – including doing 2,500 push ups and 1,000 "suicides". Let's not forget his moving speech near the end of the film. Gonzalez played the role of Timo Cruz with plenty of emotion and attitude and it was incredible. Overall, this film has a great plot, great casting, and a great amount of emotion and character complexity. In the end, I would recommend Coach Carter to everyone. I am not always a huge fan of sports movies, but even if you feel like I do you should still check it out. It is a heart-warming, inspirational film with a great message.

dwinkert Coach Carter is one of most notable sports films to ever be released. When Coach Ken Carter of the Richmond High School basketball team accepts his new job to coach and mentor a group of reckless and bashful individuals, he has no idea what the future holds. The emotional aspect of this movie leaves student athletes on the edge of their seats. Even if one is not a student athlete, it leaves a message that can have a true impact on their life and future. The true story of Coach Carter is easily a must-see movie because of its eventful plot, exciting climax, and the connection it makes to its targeted audience.Coach Ken Carter decides to return to his high school in Richmond, California to take up a head coaching position for the Richmond Oilers. He knows that this isn't the easiest task for anyone as the dysfunctional and rough bunch of players only went on to win four games total in the previous season. Even with these setbacks, Carter believes that with his discipline he can enforce on his new team both on the court and in the classroom, they can be one of the best teams in the area. In many ways, Coach Carter is portrayed as an overall inspirational and at times heart-felt movie. The first thing that comes to mind when discussing this film, is the work done by main actors like Samuel L. Jackson, Rick Gonzalez, Rob Brown, Channing Tatum, and others apart of the Richmond High School basketball team. There are many excellent things to note when regarding this. As the head coaching role, Ken Carter (Jackson), encounters many situations where his role needs to be very strict with a serious attitude towards his players. Jackson does a fantastic job doing this and making it very believable and life-like to the audience. Another actor who does a great work in the acting aspect is Rick Gonzalez. Gonzalez plays the role as Timo Cruz, one of the stubborn players of the ball team. Cruz's character has an important role played throughout the film that causes him to go from the ignorant and bashful basketball player, to one of the key players the team needs both on and off of the basketball court. He goes through challenges that requires heavy emotion which is exactly what Rick Gonzalez brings to the table when he portrays his role. The impact that these actors have on the outcome of the movie helps the main message and purpose be given to the audience.The main message is meant to be inspirational and emotional to any audience watching this movie. The director, Thomas Carter, purposefully tries to get the audience involved by leaving them in question and guessing what exactly will happen next. This emotional aspect is what leads the movie to build a personal connection to its viewers. A prime example of this comes when Coach Carter takes action when the players' grades start to slip. He tries time and time again to get the understanding in their heads that students become before athletes when considering "student athletes." At first, this doesn't go over well with the players, but in time it goes to show how powerful a person can be with school work, basketball, and other areas or difficulties in life.The work done by the actors, the director, and the writers have led to this movie being one of the biggest successes in sports films of this era. If you haven't ever experienced this movie, I suggest that you get on it and watch it. I guarantee you will not be disappointed with the work done by director Thomas Carter and by the actors. Coach Carter has had an impact on my personal life that sometimes cannot be put into words. If, however, it had to be put in words, it would be what Rick Gonzalez's character says near the peak of the movie; "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure."