height review [Disney+] – Review on FilmTotaal

direction: Akin Omutsu | Scenario: Arch Emile | spit: Daewoo Okenye (Charles), Yetedi Padaki (Veronica), Uchi Agada (Giannes), Rall Agada (Thanasis), Elijah Shulank (Alex), Jaden Osimoa (Costas), ao | game time: 113 minutes | year: 2022

Giannis, Thanasis, and Kostas Antetokounmpo have all played in the NBA, making it only a matter of time until a movie is made about the three basketball-playing brothers. Disney depicted the true story of the Antetokounmpo family, whose life was profoundly changed by basketball. But if you start the movie expecting a sports movie, you can still be surprised by the amazing rendering scenes. The film already reveals its true theme there: the struggle of an immigrant family, which has always had to hide from the authorities in a foreign country.

in rise The rigors of Antetokounmpo provide fertile ground for an inspiring sports film. Parents Charles and Veronica, both former athletes from Nigeria, are leaving for Europe as legal workers. However, their passports are confiscated at European borders, and they have to enter Greece illegally via Turkey. For this reason, it still takes some time before the first basketball flies over the screen.

Giannis, Thanasis, Kostas and Alex, the couple’s four children, grew up in the shadow of illegality and poverty in Greece. Basketball is their only chance to escape this harsh reality and become full citizens one day. The traditional training montage and thrilling matches, known from old sports films, gain additional meaning in this film: it is not only a struggle for survival on the field, but also off it.

With beautiful cinematography and engaging music, the story of the three brothers is transformed into a heart-warming family movie in an accessible way. Despite all the setbacks, relatives repeatedly say that they are doing this for each other, and as history shows, the children will rise to the top. It makes the viewing experience bittersweet, as the viewer knows that all the suffering on display are just obstacles that the family must overcome together. It always stays true in this Disney movie that dreams can really come true.

The combination of sports movies and family movies seems to work well at first, but at some point the number of sports moments suddenly decreases rapidly. Actors are only occasionally (moderately) on screen, and seem to often engage in inspiring conversations about inequality in Greek society, discrimination and the need to work hard. It leads to warm moments between family members, but it also leads to overly political statements for a family movie and disappointing little basketball for a sports movie.

Disney eventually leaves a lot of its mark on the film. Despite the strong plot and high production quality, drama often seems to triumph over sports, and through Antetokounmpo’s life, the main attempt is to tell a politically colorful story about the lives of immigrants in Greece.

In the film, basketball becomes a vehicle for the realization of the American dream and eventually quickly emigrates to the United States, where the family is welcomed with open arms. That’s how. Become rise More a lavish, feel-good story that fits the colorful set from Disney+, than a realistic autobiographical story, with all the raw edges yet to be infused.

rise It can be seen on Disney+.