Big Shot Premiere Early Review

The following is a spoiler-free review of the first three episodes of Big Shot. The first episode premieres this Friday on Disney+

Sports-themed film and television content attracts viewers under the guise of the time-honored underdog story. In terms of recent basketball stories, last year’s The Way Back is arguably the first thing that comes to mind. Looking to diversify the content on their streaming platform, adding to their sports content, Big Shot is the latest Disney+ original series, using in the world of basketball as a backdrop for both a comeback story and an underdog story in a way that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone who has seen any other sports-related film or television series. Essentially offering more of the same, for better or worse, the series uses countless derivative story beats in order to create an emotional connection with its story and characters. That being said, despite that fact, it still somewhat works thanks to a charming lead performance from John Stamos.

Big Shot follows disgraced men’s basketball coach Marvyn Korn (Stamos) who in spite of his reputation, resulting in him being ousted by the NCAA, is given a second chance to rebuild his reputation, coaching the underachieving basketball team of an all girls private school. As one would expect, Korn was faced with an adjustment period beyond the obvious differences between his past and present situations but his new situation was also a referendum on his coaching methods which may or may not have led to his ousting. To find any sort of success, Korn needed to learn to connect to his team and the many personalities on it. This task would not be an easy one as these early episodes saw the beginning stages of that. Where it all goes ultimately remains to be seen though it should be pretty easy to figure out.

However, the series was more than Korn but the series was at its best when he was the focus as the basketball team characters were on the thin side though offered a nice counterbalance to Korn. They were nothing more than a means to an end plot wise at least so far. Meanwhile, his basketball team were not the only ladies in Korn’s life. Not only did he had to learn how to be a better coach, he had to learn to be a better father to his daughter Emma (Sophia Mitri Schloss) who also had some adjusting to do. Ultimately putting basketball and winning above all else, his personal and professional relationships suffered. This would clearly have to change or he would have to find a way to balance it all. A potential love interest also appeared to complicate things in the form of Korn’s assistant coach and carryover from the previous regime named Holly (Jessalyn Gilsig). There was chemistry there almost immediately.

Regardless of its flaws, the series still remains somewhat compelling to watch. The primary reason for that, as mentioned, was Stamos’ performance as Korn. Known for his charm, Stamos taps into that to create a flawed but likable and redeemable character that albeit is more or less the same kind of character than the one that has appeared in countless other sports films and television series. Nevertheless, he was fun to watch going about his business while sometimes failing along the way as the old school vs new school dynamic, though not a new concept, still worked here. Gilsig as Holly showed signs of what her dynamic with Stamos’ Korn could eventually be. It was just a shame that she couldn’t get more to work with. Yvette Nicole Brown as Sherilyn Thomas, the school’s headmaster, had some fun quips despite her role being more of a serious one than a comedic one.

At the end of the day, Big Shot is simply more wholesome fare that may not bring anything new to the table but delivers a solid watch.

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.