We watched Coach Carter and Fat Albert over the weekend

Coach Carter came via Netflix. Samuel L. Jackson plays Ken Carter, who took a basketball coaching job at Richmond High School in California, then benched the entire team - that boasted an undefeated winning streak - because of poor grades. One of Jackson's best roles, I thought. Really good movie for you to check out if you haven't already.

Then last night Lisa and I watched Fat Albert on HBO. And it's a surprisingly good movie. It's a "cute" lil' flick: maybe not Coach Carter calibre but still worth catching at least once. The premise is that Fat Albert and his gang escape from their cartoon world and come into the real one to help a girl solve some problems. There's a nice twist regarding the girl and the grandfather she often mentions, and the final scene is really touching. Kenan Thompson pulls off a great Fat Albert, as do the rest of the cast. If there's anything to complain about, it's that the animated segments aren't done in the style of the classic 70's tv show, but instead that "fake 3D" style that's been around since the mid-90's or so. The Russell of the movie sounds nothing like the Russell of the original series. But these are really minor quibbles. Watch it sometime if you want something light and entertaining.