| Slamma Jamma | |
| Director: | Timothy A. Chey |
| Producer: |
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| Starring: |
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| Editing: | Chris Conlee |
| Cinematography: | Dean Cundey |
| Distributor: | RiverRain Productions |
| Runtime: | 104 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Budget: | $1 million (estimate) |
| Gross: | $1,687,000 (estimate) |
Slamma Jamma is a 2017 American faith-based-themed sports drama film written and directed by Timothy A. Chey.
Once promising college basketball player Michael Diggs (Chris Staples) is released from prison after serving six years in prison for armed robbery and wins the national slam dunk competition against all odds.
Slamma Jamma grossed $1,687,000 in 502 theaters in its opening weekend[2]
Slamma Jamma received both positive and negative reviews.[3]
In a review for Focus on the Family, the film critic wrote, "Slamma Jamma has a good heart and fine messages. But perhaps more importantly for those who want to see the film, it showcases some amazing athleticism. While this basketball film sometimes stumbles a bit narratively and content-wise, on the court its slam dunk maestros literally soar."[4]
In a review for MovieGuide, the film critic wrote, "SLAMMA JAMMA is an uplifting, positive movie with strong Christian faith and values. It calls on people to choose God’s love and turn to faith to overcome the world’s troubles."[5]
In a review for The Hollywood Reporter, Frank Scheck wrote that the film combined its "inspirational and sports-movie tropes in hackneyed, unoriginal fashion" and it's "hoary, melodramatic plotting and painfully awkward dialogue leave nary a cliché untouched."[6]
A review on Common Sense Media gave it one out of five stars stressing that "[u]nless you're a fan of the physical act of the slam dunk (of which there are plenty in this film), there's nothing to recommend in this artless redemption story. Slamma Jamma has a decent message -- hanging onto faith and fortitude is a decisive way to rise from the ashes of youthful 'mistakes' -- but the film itself is weighed down by so many missed opportunities that it's hard to watch."[7]
Bad movie podcast The Flop House unanimously gave the film a "Good-Bad" rating indicating that while the movie is lacking in many regards, its shortcomings make it entertaining in a "so bad it's good" kind of way.[8]