Glory Road (**1/2)

You know what you're getting when you go to see Glory Road. It's your prototypical underdog sports movie with race issues. It's not all that different from Remember the Titans, which is no surprise given that Jerry Bruckheimer produced both. Luckily, despite it's total predictability and seen that-done that feel, you still get into the movie because it has a strong story that's worth telling: the 1965 NCAA championship between Kentucky and Western Texas, where WT was the first team to start five black players. It was a watershed moment for basketball, and it makes for compelling drama. I just wish someone had taken more time with the characters. Josh Lucas plays the coach, and he is stuck in court mode the entire movie: intense and demanding. We never really get a good sense of his character off the court. Glory Road is in such a rush to get where it's going that it doesn't let its characters breathe or let the story speak for itself. It's too busy being flashy or funny, which although entertaining, ultimately hurts the film more than helps it.