Lottery Ticket

It's hard to review a movie like Lottery Ticket. It's harmless, has its heart in the right place, and inoffensive. But there's also nothing really that stands out about it. It's content to play out up on the screen, never really grabbing your attention, or giving you something to think about. Part of it has to do with the fact that we've seen everything the movie has to offer before. A larger part has to do with the fact that, despite a talented and spirited cast, there's just not a lot of energy on display.

It's a sweet-natured story about a young man named Kevin (rap artist Bow Wow), who lives in a poor inner city area with his grandma (Loretta Devine), best friend Benny (Brandon T. Jackson), and best girlfriend Stacie (Naturi Naughton), who secretly longs to be more than friends, but Kevin doesn't notice, since he's unwisely fixated on the sexy young gold digger who lives in the neighborhood (Teairra Mari). Kevin dreams of being a tennis shoe designer one day, while his grandma dreams of winning the lottery, especially now that the grand prize total has hit $370 million. The whole city seems to be obsessed with the upcoming lotto drawing, but Kevin doesn't buy it. He thinks it's all an excuse to keep poor people poor. But, when he goes to pick up his grandma's ticket, he decides to play some numbers of his own as a lark. The fact that he was recently fired from his job at Foot Locker plays a big part.

The numbers he picks turn out to be the winning ones, of course. Unfortunately, it just so happens to be the beginning of the long 4th of July holiday weekend, so the lottery office is closed, and he can't claim his prize for another three days. During those days, Kevin becomes besieged by a number of local opportunists who want in on his winnings. The sexy neighborhood siren who wouldn't pay any attention to him in the past suddenly starts coming on to him. The local crime boss (Keith David) begins offering his protection services. The minister at his church (Mike Epps) hopes to get some of Kevin's money so he can pay for a new church, house, and even a new wife. Worst of all, the local thug (Gbenga Akinnagbe) starts coming after him, looking to steal the ticket. Of course, this could have been solved if Kevin would sign the back of the ticket like he's supposed to, but he doesn't think of this until it's too late and the ticket is stolen.

The movie has a large cast of colorful characters played by some reliable actors, but the only performance that stands out is rapper Ice Cube, as a faded boxer who is now a recluse. He gets some good moments as the wise mentor character who befriends Kevin, and gives him advice on how to handle his problems, and to keep in mind who his real friends are. It's nothing new, but Ice Cube sells his scenes, and gives the movie some much needed humanity. There are also a couple scattered laughs. I liked the scene early on when Kevin's grandma is talking about a dream she had where she was on a bus with Jesus Christ as the driver. When asked why Jesus was driving a bus, she responds that it's a recession, and everyone needs work where they can get it. Aside from these fleeting clever moments, Lottery Ticket is a pleasant but banal morality tale about money, staying true to yourself, and helping out those less fortunate. It's a nice message, and the movie's heart is in the right place, but it could have used a little bit more brain to go with it.

Director Erik White tries to mix broad slapstick humor with heartfelt sentiment, and the results are uneven. The change in tone can sometimes be jarring, as it will often occur in the same scene. I liked the quieter and sweeter moments better. There's a good scene between Bow Wow and Brandon T. Jackson, where they confront each other on a rooftop about what the money is doing to their relationship. But, it seems a little out of place, when the characters are often forced to act exaggerated and goofy the rest of the time. We also get to see a lot of talented actors get pushed aside, or disappear from the movie altogether. Loretta Devine, Keith David, Terry Crews, and Charlie Murphy all make good impressions in their roles, but the movie drops them in favor of the uninspired plot with the evil gang members trying to steal the ticket.

Lottery Ticket is the kind of movie that's full of good intentions, and obviously has the talent to bring it to life, but it never quite connects. I kept on waiting for the movie to pick up and impress me like I wanted it to, but I felt like I was constantly being kept at a distance. There are moments here that hint at a better movie, but they don't end up adding up to much.

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