Review: 'Chang Can Dunk' is a harmless & heart-warming underdog story but doesn't rise above cliched tropes

Chang Can Dunk

Who doesn't love an underdog story? However, considering the trope is exploited to a large extent in an array of films, the idea to be different becomes imperative. Chang Can Dunk, on Disney+ Hotstar presents the tale of an Asian-American 16 year old basketball fanatic, who faces the challenge of whether a kid of his short height can dunk the basketball in the hoop.

Having had the chance to see the film beforehand, here is what I thought about it-

Emotions, Tropes & Basketball

From the get-go, we see Chang (Bloom Li), an average Asian-American kid trying to make himself relevant in his college basketball scene while also fighting his inner battles. The tropes attached to Chang are rather repetitive just like you would see in any sports drama - Having a troubled relationship with his working single mother, fighting casual racism as an Asian-American, a textbook rivalry with the popular white kid in the school, a nerdy best friend and falling for a girl who is seemingly out of his league.

The biggest drawback of Chang Can Dunk is the predictability of the film where you can almost see every move and every script development coming along in the upcoming scene. When such a thing happens, the screenplay has to be extremely entertaining and engaging to keep you hooked. Chang Can Dunk lacks that in the first half of the film but does take a turn for the good in the second half. Basketball isn't shown with frantic sport angles but more so about one thing - dunking.

Inspite of the cliched storyline, the emotions hit as they are intended especially with the ones of Chang and his mother, and Chang and his coach/friend, DeAndre.

DeAndre - the life of the film

While everything else is rather common when you see, it is the character of DeAndre (Dexter Darden) that adds life, humor and heart to the film. As an aspiring YouTuber and Chang's unlikely coach, DeAndre brings you chuckles, fun and even some really emotional prowess when is needed to display.

Harmless Moments & Realism

To the film's credit, the film picks up really well in the second half after that one moment that leads to Chang's life turning upside down. At that point as well, you expect some cliched screenplay twists but it doesn't entirely and necessarily take that route keeping you on your toes. Even the climax doesn't lead to a hackneyed conclusion but rather to a refreshing and realistic end that leaves you smiling. There are moments of rising above the underdog tag as you expect but is more about the grit, determination and heart that is imperative to any journey that is highlighted well.

The Verdict

In the end, the film might be titled Chang Can Dunk and your burning question might be assumed as 'can he or can he not?' but with a heartwarming climax, the film leaves you with the idea that this is probably not that important anyway and what matters is the journey and the attitude towards it.

Chang Can Dunk definitely doesn't break any cinematic boundaries and isn't meant to as well thus being a heartwarming underdog story that is harmless in a good way.

Rating - *** (3/5)