Fab Five, The (2011)
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson went to the University of Michigan and became known as the "Fab Five" but their great story would end in scandal and infamy. Most will remember Webber called a time-out the team didn't have, which helped lose the National Championship to North Carolina. Years later it would turn out that Weber was paid for being at the school and this resulted the the NCAA coming down on the program and clearing away all mention of the group and their accomplishments. I remember watching many basketball games as a young kid but the infamous championship game with the time out is the first one where the entire thing sticks in my mind. Even watching the clips today you can't help but tell yourself that this time Webber isn't going to call a time out but of course it plays out the same way year and year but you can't help but still feel the drama and shock. It should be noted that Webber refused to be interviewed for this film so that leaves a major gap in what should have been the definitive look at the Fab Five. Howard, Rose, King, Jackson and coach Steve Fisher are all interviewed and share their thoughts on how they all ended up at Michigan and what those two loses in the championship game meant. The director does a very good job at showing the history of the program and showing the impact these five freshmen had on the game. We hear about them changing the style and look of basketball but we also get to see some letters that Michigan "fans" sent where they were quite obviously racist and didn't appreciate these guys bringing a rap-style to the school. There's no question that the highlight of the film is that now infamous game against North Carolina and it's a shame Webber refused to be interviewed. It's a shame further because of the black cloud that hangs over him and the school and it's something that still hasn't been cleared up and it might not ever be. One of the other interesting ideas is hatred shown at Duke. Someone hating Duke isn't that shocking since people love to hate them but I was a little shocked to hear some of the comments coming from the players including Rose calling black players that went to Duke "Uncle Tom's". THE FAB FIVE isn't definitive due to Webber not taking place but it's still a highly entertaining look at these five freshmen who certainly left a mark on their sport.