Lee's attack on how big business is not only ruining the game he loves but also playing with people's lives is direct and brave, while his passion, insight and intelligence are evident and admirable.
Comment
03/25/08
He Got Game (1998)
81
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:58
Fresh:47
Rotten:11
Average Rating:6.9/10
Consensus: Though not without its flaws, He Got Game finds Spike Lee at or near the top of his late-period game, combining trenchant commentary with his signature visuals and a strong performance from Denzel Washington.
Runtime: 2 hrs 16 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Spike Lee turns his attention to the high-stakes world of basketball with this charged drama. Jake Shuttlesworth (Denzel Washington) is serving 15 years for playing a role in the death of his wife.... [More]
Starring: Denzel Washington, Ray Allen, Milla Jovovich, Bill Nunn
Director: Spike Lee
Reviews for He Got Game
Top CriticMost scenes play too long, with a surplus of ideas, textures, tones and characters, and after 134 minutes it's clear Lee's problem with closure hasn't gone away.
02/09/06
Top CriticAfter a couple of seriously worrying missteps, Lee is back at the top of his game, positioning himself as one of the best American filmmakers of his day.
01/01/00
Top CriticClick to read the article
01/07/09
Lacking the moral indignation and militant politics of Lee's former work, this vibrantly colorful father-son melodrama is soft at the center, but it's one of the most accessible films Lee has made and Denzel Washington is terrific.
03/25/08
Top CriticAt the end of Mr. Lee's movie, all you feel is the distraction of Mr. Lee's stylistic exhibitionism, without which, I concede, he might not be regarded as a genius in some quarters.
04/27/07
[Lee] gets a charming performance from Allen, who, in his acting debut, occupies his pedestal with grace and diffidence.
03/25/07
Though too long by a good half hour, Lee's latest film packs a genuine emotional punch.
03/25/07
As usual, Lee tries many kinds of stylistic effects and uses wall-to-wall music (by Aaron Copland and Public Enemy); what’s different this time is how personally driven the story feels.
03/25/07
Lee paints intimate characters who are about more than the game. Themes of integrity, honesty, loyalty and familial love are woven through the film resulting in a complex, thought-provoking human drama.
04/09/05
Shrewdly exposes the underbelly of college recruiting and the pressures exerted on talented high school basketball stars.
06/28/04
Flawed but powerful.
06/07/04
It is a wonderful thing to watch two artists work so well together. I am speaking, in this case, of Spike Lee and Denzel Washington.
02/08/03
The hypocritical misogyny of He Got Game is a fundamental weakness that reviewers so far have been happy to downplay or even to dismiss.
01/10/03
Lee should have drawn up a tighter game plan but just the same his hoops hoopla still has enough game (mostly in the form of Washington) to win over the audience.
12/08/02
As brilliant and perplexing as the filmmaker himself.
10/15/02
Only a director as good as Spike Lee could make a coherent movie out of this messy, jejune set-up ...
07/31/02
Washington's Jake Shuttlesworth looks tough and hard, an odd but refreshing turn for an actor long associated with handsomely heroic roles.
06/18/02
As much a technical achievement as a narrative one.
06/05/02
A two-hour air ball.
04/12/02
Latest News for He Got Game
April 05, 2005:
Spike & Denzel to Team Up for a Fourth Flick
Blackfilm.com snagged an interesting quote from controversial filmmaker Spike Lee. The director was attending an after-party for Denzel Washington's Broadway opening of... More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
RT on YouTube 
Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.
RT on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.
IGN RSS Feeds