Fantasy Football (2022) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)

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With an interesting premise that has a child giving their father a resurgence in their career, “Fantasy Football” is family-friendly and entertaining.

Director(s)	Anton Cropper
Screenplay By	Zoe Marshall, Daniel Gurewitch, David Young
Based On	A Screenplay By Richard T. Jones, Jeremy Loethen, Tim Ogletree
Date Released (Paramount+)	11/25/2022
Genre(s)	Comedy, Fantasy, Sports
Duration	1 Hour 38 Minutes
Content Rating	Not Rated
Noted Cast
Callie Coleman	Marsai Martin
Bobby Coleman	Omari Hardwick
Keisha Coleman	Kelly Rowland

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Film Summary

Because of Bobby’s job, Callie has moved nearly every two years as he got traded from one NFL team to another, which has led to a lack of stability and friends. But, it seems things might change with him on the Atlanta Falcons and her being approached by a robotics team after they learn of her hacking skills. This especially becomes true when her fumble-prone dad becomes controllable by a Madden game after a freak accident.

But, with Bobby having a career resurgence, he wants Callie to put his career before her friends and the work she committed to on the robotics team, which puts her at a crossroads between new friends and her dad having the kind of resurgence that would allow them to stay put.

Things To Note

Why Is “Fantasy Football” Rated

• Dialog: Nothing notable
• Violence: Nothing beyond the general violence that is football
• Sexual Content: None
• Miscellaneous: There are parties where there might be drinking, but nothing notable

Character Descriptions

Please Note: This character guide is not an exhaustive list of every cast member, and character descriptions may contain what can be considered spoilers.

Callie

Despite going to different cities across the country for most of her life, Callie is a very smart kid. On top of being a talented gamer, she is also a hacker, knows various coding languages, and even is able to pick up on

• You May Also Know The Actor From Being: Diane Johnson in “Black-ish,” and Jordan Sanders in “Little

Bobby

A Heisman winner, now known for fumbling the ball whenever on the field, Bobby is past his peak and seemingly gets traded every year due to his legacy than his current abilities.

• You May Also Know The Actor From Being: Vanderohe in “Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas,” James ‘Ghost’ St. Patrick in “Power,” and Mr. _____ in “Sorry to Bother You.”

Keisha

Keisha is Bobby’s wife, Callie’s mom, who is a nurse.

• You May Also Know The Actor From Being: Gladys Knight in “American Soul,” Leah Walker in “Empire,” and Emily Gordon in “The Curse of Bridge Hollow”

Review

Our Rating: Mixed (Divisive)

Highlights

Long-Term Investment In Callie’s Life and Decisions

Naturally, Callie’s character is the furthest developed of “Fantasy Football.” Her arc dealing with her father’s floundering career getting a resurgence because of her, combined with her getting friends, even a boyfriend, potentially, makes you invested in all she is responsible for. But, even though the film can’t really address the weight of Callie’s responsibilities, it isn’t lost on you that this is a lot of pressure for a girl barely trusted to drive her dad’s car.

Take note, while her mother is a nurse and contributing to the household, the way Bobby talks makes it seem that if he got injured tomorrow, downsizing would be immediate since it seems he wanted to keep up with the Joneses. On top of that, the way Callie’s classmates talked, the school she went to was tuition based. So when it comes to Callie being on top of her game, you can see the weight that is on her shoulders regarding her family’s future and that of her robotics club. Since it seems the person who invited her on was relying on her contribution not just for high school but potentially her college prospects.

An Interesting Premise, That’s Well Executed

The idea that someone can control their dad with a video game is interesting. In fact, you could easily see it, but I hope they don’t do it, translate what is done here to basketball, soccer, and other sports, as a means of cross-promotion. And with that, they could bring on notable names within the field and highlight the sport in the process. For while “Fantasy Football” doesn’t get too much into the technical aspects of football or even video games, it does try to bridge the gap between the two and makes for more than a gimmick, but a rather decent vehicle for all we see in the movie.

On The Fence

Weak Supporting Characters

The reason we only mention Bobby and Callie is that everyone else is rather forgettable. Kelly Rowland’s character ends and begins with being a wife, mother, and nurse. She doesn’t get to have a notable personality, she is just likable, and that goes for most of Callie’s friends as well. There is a weird quiet one, a White girl with some edge, and while you have to appreciate how many Black kids they show heavy into STEM and doing well at it, like Rowland’s character, they are given a very simple archetype to fit into, and not much room to expand on it.

Which for a kids movie, you shouldn’t expect much. But it does kill the replay value of this and make “Fantasy Football” come off as the kind of film that is one and done, despite a rather cool premise.

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