Movie Review: Lottery Ticket ***

Our on-staff movie buff Leanne McGrath shares her latest candid movie review. Email feedback to her at [email protected].

Lottery Ticket  ***

Stars: Shad ‘Bow Wow’ Moss, Brandon T. Jackson, Naturi Naughton, Ice Cube
Director: Erik White
Rated: PG-13
Showing: Speciality Cinema week of Friday, September 3 - Friday and Saturday 1/4/7/10pm; Sunday 1/4/7pm; Monday 6:15/9pm; Tuesday to Thursday 2:30/6:15/9pm. For more information about film times, call 292-2135.
Runtime: 95 minutes
Comedy

Former child rapper Bow Wow takes his first lead acting role as Kevin Carson, a Foot Locker salesman who lives with his grandma (Loretta Devine, Death At A Funeral) in an Atlanta housing project.

When he loses his job, life seems bleak — until he buys a lottery ticket using numbers from a fortune cookie and wins the $670 million jackpot.

Sadly, it’s the holiday weekend and he can’t claim his prize for three days — can he survive the greedy and threatening plans of his opportunistic neighbours, especially those of violent ex-con Lorenzo?

The script isn’t as clever as the premise allows but director Erik White injects heaps of heart.

There is plenty of humour but too few laugh-out-loud scenes, while the stabs at social commentary don’t make as much impact as they could.

Clichés abound, too, notably a montage of Wow and friends on a shopping spree and an ill-advised deal with a loan shark.

Wow is likeable but is outshone by Naturi Naughton (Fame, Notorious) as the loveable girl-next-door, T-Pain as a chatty store clerk and Ice Cube, playing against type as an aging, agoraphobic boxer.

Watch if you liked: Friday.