Shooting Stars (2023) | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

56% Tomatometer 34 Reviews 70% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings

Shooting Stars is set in the 1990s, where a young LeBron James (Marquis "Mookie" Cook) and his three best friends -- Lil Dru (Caleb McLaughlin, Stranger Things), Willie McGee (Avery S. Wills, Jr., Swagger) and Sian Cotton (Khalil Everage, Cobra Kai)--declare themselves the "Fab Four," after the famed Michigan Wolverines' "Fab Five" of that era. From the moment we meet them, we realize this group of friends, under the guidance of coach Dru Joyce (Wood Harris; Creed franchise), is connected by more than basketball. So, when the coach at the top basketball school in their district threatens to separate them by putting Lil Dru on junior varsity, the Fab Four decide to switch schools to be able to play varsity together, joining the team at a predominantly white Catholic school instead. The community takes this as an insult, but the boys' dedication to each other is more important than anything else. With their new coach (Dermot Mulroney; August: Osage County), a disgraced former college coach seeking redemption of his own, the boys, along with former rival and new teammate Romeo Travis (newcomer Sterling "Scoot" Henderson), will face battles not only on the court but in real life, in their quest to become national champs, and will rediscover that what matters most about the game is the people playing beside you.

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Critics Consensus

Although Shooting Stars isn't without its engaging moments, this dramatized look back at LeBron James' early years is less entertaining than simply watching him play.

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Critics Reviews

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Shooting Stars (2023) | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Samantha Bergeson indieWire With James’ Springhill Company behind the movie, we only see the sweet friendships, the glory of victory, and of course, James’ iconic celebrity. Too bad a lay-up of a biography isn’t interesting at all. Rated: C- Jun 15, 2023 Full Review Shooting Stars (2023) | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Matt Zoller Seitz RogerEbert.com Every moment and image is so perfectly shaped and presented, and rings so true, that you can imagine the same story being told, beat-for-beat, with a cast of invented characters and being every bit as satisfying. Rated: 4/4 Jun 9, 2023 Full Review Shooting Stars (2023) | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Christy Lemire FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles) Unfortunately, LeBron James is the least interesting part of this LeBron James origin story... But this is a nice, inspiring film. Jun 6, 2023 Full Review Shooting Stars (2023) | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Graeme Tuckett Stuff.co.nz Shooting Stars is a mostly low-key and thoughtful portrait. Director Chris Robinson has a deft touch with the on-court scenes and handles the relationships and drama equally well. Rated: 3.5/5 Jun 14, 2024 Full Review Shooting Stars (2023) | Rotten Tomatoes (5) Robert Roten Laramie Movie Scope This movie is similar to other sports-centered biographical dramas, but it is different in that LeBron James, and even basketball itself, both are benched in favor of showing how friendship, teamwork and family help people overcome life's challenges. Rated: B Nov 17, 2023 Full Review Shooting Stars (2023) | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Diego Batlle Otroscines.com A most conventional TV film... [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 2.5/5 Jul 25, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Aiza S LOVED IT! MAINLY BC OF CALEB MCLAUGHLIN 🫶🏼 Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/18/24 Full Review Jeremias v Sinceramente ame esta pelicula, es una película que si practicas o practicaste basketball te va a encantar.la película abarca temas como la depresión deportiva, la amistad y los obstáculos en la vida de lebron.quizas deberia a ver abarcado mas la vida de Lebron pero creo que la gracia de la película es mostrar a los amigos de James no solo como personajes secundarios sino como también los protagonistas. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/12/24 Full Review Jerod S Man, this makes Lebron's early high school career look dull. It doesn't capture the thrill of his talent or the tension of the controversy of his suspension. Rated 2.5/5 Stars • Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/19/24 Full Review Lloyd S Don't expect something special or inspiring, it's just a biopic of Lebron James childhood. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/17/24 Full Review BallisticzsGaming R Shooting Stars is a biographical sports drama that follows the high school basketball career of LeBron James and his team called the Fab 5. This story is said to be his origin story that led him to the NBA. The movie stars Caleb McLaughlin, Marquis Cook, and Wood Harris. The one thing that made this movie really work for me is the dynamic that was the Fab 4 and then became the Fab 5 when Romeo came into the picture. I feel like almost everyone can relate to having that group of friends in school that you went everywhere with and did everything with. This movie is also more than just a LeBron biography as the story deals with the topics of how friendship, teamwork, and family can help people overcome challenges. One of the best things about this movie was how they showed how LeBron became egotistical and the people around him started to take notice and had to help humble him. It was clear that all 5 of this team had great passion for the game and once things started to get serious, Sian even said that it wasn't fun anymore due to the competitive nature of trying to make it big and to compete with LeBron's standout skills. This movie just felt really real and grounded and is just a story of passionate kids grinding and hustling to the top and mastering their craft. I do feel like this movie could be slow for some but I myself usually get entertained by inspiring stories like this, especially with the incredible acting and writing. Overall, Shooting Stars is a really solid biographical film about 5 brothers who were passionate for the same game where there's drama, drive, and determination which comes off as entertaining for basketball fans and people who enjoy great inspirational stories. Shooting Stars gets a B+. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 12/17/23 Full Review RACHAEL C Loved this definitely worth a watch Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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Cast & Crew

Chris Robinson Director Wood Harris Dru Joyce Marquis Mookie Cook LeBron James Caleb McLaughlin Lil Dru Natalie Paul Gloria James Algee Smith Ilya McGee
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Synopsis Shooting Stars is set in the 1990s, where a young LeBron James (Marquis "Mookie" Cook) and his three best friends -- Lil Dru (Caleb McLaughlin, Stranger Things), Willie McGee (Avery S. Wills, Jr., Swagger) and Sian Cotton (Khalil Everage, Cobra Kai)--declare themselves the "Fab Four," after the famed Michigan Wolverines' "Fab Five" of that era. From the moment we meet them, we realize this group of friends, under the guidance of coach Dru Joyce (Wood Harris; Creed franchise), is connected by more than basketball. So, when the coach at the top basketball school in their district threatens to separate them by putting Lil Dru on junior varsity, the Fab Four decide to switch schools to be able to play varsity together, joining the team at a predominantly white Catholic school instead. The community takes this as an insult, but the boys' dedication to each other is more important than anything else. With their new coach (Dermot Mulroney; August: Osage County), a disgraced former college coach seeking redemption of his own, the boys, along with former rival and new teammate Romeo Travis (newcomer Sterling "Scoot" Henderson), will face battles not only on the court but in real life, in their quest to become national champs, and will rediscover that what matters most about the game is the people playing beside you.

Director
Chris Robinson

Producer
LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Spencer Beighley, Jamal Henderson, Nonie L. Robinson, Rachel Winter, Terence Winter

Screenwriter
Frank E. Flowers, Tony Rettenmaier, Juel Taylor

Distributor
Peacock

Production Co
Universal Pictures, Cold Front Productions, Tangerine Pictures, SpringHill Entertainment

Rating
PG-13 (Teen Drinking|Strong Language|Some Suggestive References)

Genre
Biography, Drama, Sports

Original Language
English

Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 2, 2023

Runtime
1h 55m
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