I recently got a chance to see an advanced screening of Snoop Dogg’s upcoming sports comedy, The Underdoggs. That is being released on Prime Video, this coming Friday, Jan. 26th. That is a really funny, inspiring and fun film in which Snoop stars as over his head washed-up ex-professional football star, Jaycen “Two Js” Jennings. Who is trying to rebuild his image after hitting rock bottom and is forced as part of his community service to coach, the Underdoggs. Who are an unruly pee-wee football team in his hometown of Long Beach, California, which he abandoned and hasn’t visited since he was a high school star. Two J’s reconnects with his former lover, Cherise, played by Tika Sumpter. Who is in charge of the team and who’s son, Tre, played by Jonigan Booth, is the star player of the team. There is also Kareem, played by Mike Epps, who is another part of Two J’s past he reconnects with. As he tries to transform the foul-mouthed and not so talented group of Underdoggs into respectable top-notch champions. While also trying to restore his public image and turn his life around for the better. In doing so he also rediscovers his love of the game and how much the Underdoggs truly are like him when he first started in his hometown of Long Beach. Before he got too famous and let his fame get to his head.
Over the weekend I got a chance to also take part in a virtual press conference for the film. Which director Charles Stone, Snoop, Tika, Kal Penn and several of the younger other cast members of the film took place in. That was moderated by media personality, Danielle Young. Some highlighted questions that were asked being, “Do you know what it means to be an underdog and have you ever in your short time here on earth been considered one?” Shamori hitting it right from the jump with his answer of. “For me it means you are always being counted out and nobody really believes in you. But then you shock the world and show them what you can really do. Personally I would say I been an underdog, but I am not no more.” Charles saying a time he was an underdog being when he first started in the industry. Directing music videos in 1989. A great quote from his answer being, “They always say don’t wait. Be prepared. So when you get called you are ready. Whether it be for actors. For all of us. If you love your craft. I thought I was an underdog back then, but I pushed through.” Snoop then giving his answer of when he thought he was an underdog when he first started acting. “They didn’t believe I could be an actor cause I was so focused on rapping. Not really taking the time to think of the structure, the skill and the practice. And the things that go into it. So I had to prepare myself to get better, but I started off as an underdog. Where I wouldn’t get roles or they would say, ‘No he can’t do it we don’t think.’ So I had to go practice. I had to go and get better. I had to do things so that when I did get another opportunity. That they couldn’t say, no.” Tika adding about how when certain movies and/or films like this one do well and the studios act surprised a lot of times when they do. “I always think about when films do well and studios are like, ‘Oh my gosh! We were so surprised!’ I feel like I have been in a lot of those kind of films. Where it’s like, ‘Woo it made this much!’ I feel like a lot of times I wish people would invest more in films like this and believe because there is an audience who not only wants to see themselves. But they want to see fun. They want to see us do different things. So don’t always be surprised when something does very well. Studios and everyone else. I feel I am always apart of films like that. So it’s like. Believe in the product. Put it out there. Believe in the people and people will show up.” Kal adding how this reminded him when, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle first blew up. Starting off by talking about how he used a philosophy about working 1000 times harder than others so he can get a job acting as underdog philosophy. Adding, “Then Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle comes out and everybody forgets. It tanked at the box office. It did not do well. The title wasn’t great. OK. I remember in Hollywood it was 2004 and everyone after it tanked was like. ‘See we told you two Asian American men just can’t open a comedy.’ Then it comes out on DVD and people were buying it. Snoop laughingly chimed in, “You can thank the hood for that!” Kal then continuing on saying, “That movie came out on DVD and people all over the country and just not in the pockets that studios thought. Went out and supported it and we got a second and third movie. So to your point. I wish that there was a little more attention on hey there is stories that are out there that can do really well. And obviously over the last 20 year’s. We have especially seen that with technology like Amazon and streaming.”
Of the young actors and actress from the movie. Kylah Davila spoke on what it was like to be the only girl as part of the younger cast members. “I am honestly very honored cause when I was even younger. I used to love to play football. Like I would play flag football all of the time. But the boys would always exclude me since I am a girl and they always thought I was weak. But the funny thing is I am a gymnast. So I am actually pretty strong. But yeah I am pretty honored to play someone who gets into that a little bit. She shows in this movie that girls can do anything. Not just be pretty and just buy makeup and just shop. She can play football. You know she can really play. When you guys see this movie. She can, I will just say she saves the day.”
That perfectly seguing into some of the favorite scenes and moments from on set. To which Shamori immediately answered, “The bale house scene. It was around the time when Tre was deciding if he wanted to quit the football team or not.” But then he got shy and couldn’t finish answering. Caleb Dixon then adding about the party scene being his favorite and how he thought it was for most everyone else. “Listen the party scene felt crazy. We was playing football. We was drinking. Though it wasn’t real and was cream soda. I ain’t going to say too much more cause I know others want to chime in.” To which Alexander Michael Gordon added, “My single favorite moment in the movie out of the party scene. I threw up playing beer pong. Threw up on the table. It was completely improved in and he liked it so much. He decided to keep it.” Jonigan saying how, “Everybody had the same favorite scene, but my favorite part about that scene was. The director. Mr. Stone said get in the pool and play. We just played, flipping each other over and thowing football’s. So it was just an amazing time.” Adan James Carillo adding how, “It wasn’t really planned out how we were going to do it. We just did our thing. And it was fun. We threw the football around like it was an actual football game. We played. We shot each other with the water guns and it was really cool.”
The press conference closing out with a question being asked about with it being a black director and mostly black cast. Would you consider this to be a black film? Do you think that’s also a further conversation with it being labeled black this or that? To which Charles answered right away, “As my mother would say, ‘You going to make me want to smoke a cigarette.’ That’s heavy. Very real and very current. There’s someone from the 20’s or 30’s that had this term, double consciences. Which that people of color are known to be both, Black Americans and Americans. So we have this duality that we have to deal with. Some chose to acknowledge it and some don’t. So in that case. Yes, this is a movie for everybody, but it’s also celebrating a culture that is with people of color. That happen to be African-American and even LatinX as well. So it’s both. The world actually needs to be more mindful of the various cultures and that it’s all American. It is not black history. It is American history. So that goes for this movie. That it is a universal tale. Coming of age story about a middle-aged dude. That’s universal.” Tika saying if she can also add, “I have a friend who is a writer. Who is not part of the culture or anything like that and he said, ‘Oh it reminds me of the Bad News Bears’ and I was like, ‘Exactly except with more curse words and it’s great.’ To which he was like, ‘Yeah and everybody should watch it.’ It wasn’t like a thing and I think a lot of times we have to constantly tell people it’s a black film. To where we don’t get enough money for it. It’s a film. It is just a film with black people and brown people in it. And everybody should see it and it’s about football. Plus it’s cultural relevant.” To which Snoop added, “I just think when they say that. When they start saying it’s a black movie. That is just trying to limit it. Trying to put it to a certain fan base. When they do things like that and discredit the fact that it’s a great picture with great actors and great people. No matter what walks of life they come from. Cause everybody in the movie is not black, everyone that worked on the movie is not black. But the people who are the leads and certain parts are black. But that doesn’t discredit any and every body. So I feel like it should just be looked at as a great piece of work. Like any other project that is not black. So stop trying to put us low and say it’s a black movie. And just say it’s great movie with a couple of black people in it.”
With that said. It truly is a great as well as funny, inspiring and entertainingly fun film. That everyone will enjoy and should watch when it comes out on Prime in the next couple of days on Friday, Jan. 26th.