‘White Men Can’t Jump’ (2023) Review – Harlow and Walls Shine In This Enjoyable Remake

The 1992 sports comedy White Men Can’t Jump wasn’t a film I ever imagined would get a remake. I suppose it’s silly of me to believe that in a day and age in which that’s seemingly all Hollywood is interested in greenlighting. Like many remakes, the goal is to replicate the original’s charm, popularity, and audience while introducing the concept to a new generation. The White Men Can’t Jump remake is successful at this thanks to its leads.

Kamal (Sinqua Walls) is a disgraced basketball superstar on his way to the NBA during high school before an altercation during a game left him with a criminal record. He takes care of his wife (Teyana Taylor) and his son by working a  job he hates and playing basketball at a local gym that proudly displays his high school basketball jersey. Jeremy (Jack Harlow) is a talented basketball player who suffers from an old injury and has an unhealthy reliance on painkillers. He lives with his girlfriend (Laura Harrier), a gifted choreographer with her own dreams. The dynamic between Kamal and Jeremy starts out rocky, but they are soon united by the same desire to provide a better living for those they love.

This film is delightful from beginning to end. Walls and Harlow’s chemistry, like Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson’s in the original, helps carry the movie. A natural kinship between the two sells their evolution throughout the film. They begin as distrustful strangers but end up as brothers. It’s nice to see Walls get more recognition not only as a severe and dramatic actor but also as an actor who can successfully star in comedies. He brings a conservative but quick-witted nature to Kamal that is believable and a joy to watch. The character’s past and all the things he could have been weighs heavily on his shoulders, Walls expertly portrays a young man trying his best to make peace with his past and move forward to a brighter future for his family.

Harlow does surprisingly well in this role. I, like many, am always skeptical when a musical artist transitions to acting. It always feels a bit disingenuous, and most of the time, I prefer if they keep on singing or rapping instead of trying to be an actor.  However, Harlow knocks the role out of the park. His portrayal of Jeremy is earnest, charming, and insanely funny. Although Jeremy has an addiction to painkillers, he’s also highly into New Age health practices and healing. He’s snarky but aware enough to know his place in the urban street basketball world and how he’s viewed. Although it’s mostly played for laughs, Jeremy is genuinely concerned about Jamal’s inability to process his feelings healthily. Several reoccurring jokes about therapy and meditation ultimately prove the key to Kamal’s progress. Harlow treats these subjects with respect, and in turn, it helps the viewers take the character seriously.

Taylor and Harrier deserve praise here, as well. Although they aren’t the central characters, they live and breathe just as much as their male leads. Taylor’s character, Imani, wants to support her husband in any way possible, but she also dreams of owning a hair salon. Her aspirations factor into the plot and Kamal’s story in a believable way that helps drive his motivations and the story. Harrier’s Tatiana is a dancer who wastes her potential teaching classes at a local community center. When her dreams come to fruition, and she’s offered the chance to go on tour with a well-known celebrity, it adds tension to her relationship with Harlow’s Jeremy. It reinforces the important message that a woman should never put her dreams on hold for her man out of fear that she may surpass him.

The late and great Lance Reddick appears in the film as Benji, Kamal’s father. Although Reddick isn’t in much of the film, his presence is felt entirely as Kamal reflects on his deferred basketball dreams. He appears in the movie during critical moments to dole out words of wisdom to help his son. The film is better for it, and Reddick will be missed forever.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how well the film captures and displays the city of Los Angeles. The sun-drenched; urban wonderland serves as the film’s third main character. Director Calmatic clearly has a deep love and appreciation for the city, and whether we’re watching the sun peek across the horizon, casting a yellow haze across the city, or watching the moon rise in the neon-lit, smoky Los Angeles night, the film emphasizes the beauty of the town.

Although Calmatic and screenwriters Kenya Barris and Doug Hall don’t fully recapture the charm and chemistry of the original film, this remake is still enjoyable, funny, and as close to a slam dunk as anyone will get.

White Men Can’t Jump is currently available for streaming on Hulu.