Roll Bounce

Set in Chicago during the summer of 1978, Roll Bounce follows teenager Xavier "X" Smith, the most talented skater at his local rink on the city's South Side, where he and his friends have long been the crew to beat. When that rink closes, the group has to look elsewhere to keep skating, and the only real option lies on the wealthier North Side, at Sweetwater. There the skaters are slicker and the crowd is tougher, led by Curtis, who rules the floor. With the annual competition approaching, X and his friends have to prove they belong.

Malcolm D. Lee directed the film, which sits between Undercover Brother and Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins in his filmography. Norman Vance Jr. wrote the screenplay, and George Tillman Jr. and Robert Teitel produced. Shad Moss plays X, with Brandon T. Jackson, Chi McBride, Marcus T. Paulk, Rick Gonzalez and Khleo Thomas among the cast of 36 credited performers. The film runs 112 minutes and mixes comedy, drama and family themes.

Made for about 10 million dollars, Roll Bounce took in roughly 18 million worldwide. On IMDb it holds 6.3/10 from around 8,200 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 6.8/10 from 129 votes, a smaller but warmer sample. A critics' rating of 6/10 from 88 reviews places professional notices close to the audience scores, suggesting a broadly middle-ground reception rather than a sharply divisive one.