Review: Snoop Dogg takes role of disgruntled youth coach to new heights in 'The Underdoggs'

The cliche of the less-than-stellar individual slipping into the part of role model for nefarious reasons in movies is nothing new, especially when it involves youth sports teams.

Walter Matthau redefined the role in “The Bad News Bears” (the 1976 version) as a curmudgeonly, beer-swilling, washed-up baseballer hired – yes, hired – to coach a youth baseball team filled with players who cursed, gambled and lied.

However, “The Underdoggs,” featuring Snoop Dogg, is “The Bad News Bears” on steroids, leveraging the freedom provided by 50 years of societal change − sometimes to hilarious comedic effect − while mildly exploiting the situation at the same time.

If the prospect of buying the legendary rapper as a youth football coach seems too much of a stretch, it shouldn’t. Snoop’s love of all things related to the sport is well known and documented, as his Southern California youth football league is one of the best known in the country.

It’s no surprise that he would want to mine the topic for something in this film realm. He stars as Jaycen “Two Js” Jenkins, a retired pro-football receiver whose brand is languishing even as he’s living in the lap of luxury in his retirement.

The reality: Like many a pro-athlete, Jenkins is a narcissist who craves the spotlight. That desire gets him into trouble with the law, and he lands in his old community – the one he forgot about after achieving fame – picking up poo as part of a community service sentence.

He witnesses a motley crew of ballers attempting to pull together a practice session without a coach to be found. He soon realizes that one of the players on the team is the son of a former girlfriend – not just any girlfriend, but the one that got away.

The brilliant idea to take over the reigns of the team comes to him. No, Jenkins isn’t altruistic. He can benefit professionally and personally by taking over the team, getting help from childhood friend Kareem (Mike Epps) in the process. If the team succeeds, he rekindles his brand and the romance that his egotism sabotaged on his way to fortune and glory.

Of course, it’s not difficult to predict the road this film will take to get to where the audience expects it will end. But is it a journey worth taking?

Much depends on personal sensibilities. There’s little doubt that children acting like some adults – think swearing, sexual references and even a little boozing – has offered comedic value in prior films such as the aforementioned “Bad News Bears.”

What has changed: Viewers' tolerance for a degree of coarseness – one that Snoop Dogg and director Charles Stone III (“Drumline”) are well aware of, so much so that they have fun with a disclaimer prior to the film’s start.

Ultimately, “The Underdoggs” proves to be a crass, cookie-cutter comedy.

George M. Thomas dabbles in movies and streaming for the Beacon Journal.

Review

Movie: “The Underdoggs”

Cast: Snoop Dogg, Mike Epps, Tika Sumpter, George Lopez

Directed by: Charles Stone III

Running time: 1 hour 41 minutes

Rated: R for pervasive language, sexual references, drug use, and some underage drinking.

Grade: C

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Review: Snoop Dogg coaches crass kids in 'The Underdoggs'