The Longshots

It is unabashedly sentimental and, at times sincerely touching, mainly when Ice Cube and Palmer are alone together on the screen.

The most surprising thing about the inspirational sports movie The Longshots is not that there isn't already an inspirational sports movie with that exact name. The big shock is that the director Fred Durst -- and he doesn't do half bad.

A clich-riddled, warm and fuzzy, small-town sports drama.

Despite its roots in real life, much of The Longshots feels like Hollywood stirring the pot.

The script may have taken an hour to write, and I hope they got a bulk rate on generic inspirational music, but Cube and his young co-star, Keke Palmer, are plenty charismatic, and Durst doesn't knock over the camera.

It has a nice message, and despite the fact that I feel he's been totally emasculated over the years, Cube remains a solid actor.

Durst's surprisingly gentle and understated direction lends the proceedings authenticity even when they cover the most pro forma ground.