Among the many newest Disney+ releases this month is an authentic gem known as Chang Can Dunk. The film follows a high-schooler who challenges his college’s basketball star to dunk a basketball by homecoming with some large stakes to impress a brand new woman at college and earn a prideful standing amongst his classmates. Chang Can Dunk additionally introduces an thrilling new filmmaker into the fold, Jingyi Shao, whom CinemaBlend had the prospect to talk to forward of the film now being accessible on streaming.
Jingyi Shao’s Chang Can Dunk has been graced with constructive reactions (peek that Rotten Tomatoes rating), making it the most recent nice basketball film with its personal distinctive aptitude with influences from anticipated and fairly sudden locations. Because the first-time filmmaker shared with us:
I drew from all types of cinematic influences. The film actually represents my movie style as a result of I’m each very mainstream, these are the movies that I grew up on, like Mighty Geese, Little Giants. I like these Disney-esque sports activities coming of age [movies] like Cool Runnings rising up. However, you realize, in faculty I additionally watched loads of artwork home movies and movies from nice administrators and stuff. So, I believe that clearly in the event you watch this movie, it is extra of the type of early nineties coming of age sports activities comedy, however there’s little moments of my extra indie artwork home tastes as nicely.
Okay, so this completely is sensible. Should you’re going to make the most recent Disney sports activities film, it’s important to have a look at the classics like 1992’s Mighty Geese or 1994’s Little Giants. That stated, there’s an elevated cinematic high quality about Chang Can Dunk too that Jingyi Shao shared he drew from nice Martin Scorsese movies. In his phrases:
I believe that there is some pictures in there that I pulled from like Scorsese movies… he likes to do these type of like mirror pictures the place the character has to take a look at themselves and the way in which they see themselves versus the way in which that we see them seeing themselves has at all times had a profound affect on me, as a result of the way in which you see your self is such a mirrored image of your story. And, self-perception is a extremely vital theme on this movie, you realize? And, so I needed to make it possible for like Chang checked out himself within the mirror a number of occasions, and you may see his evolution via how he checked out himself.
Chang Can Dunk
Written/Directed By: Jingyi Shao
Starring: Bloom Li, Ben Wang, Zoe Renee, Mardy Ma, Dexter Darden, Chase Liefeld
The place To Stream: Disney+ subscription
Be careful for these Scorsese influences subsequent time you try Chang Can Dunk on Disney+. The film finds a singular spin on the basic coming-of-age sports activities film that the studio has achieved earlier than, however by no means from this specific perspective. The story of Chang (performed by Bloom Li) is a private one to Shao that pulls on his relationship along with his immigrant mom and struggles to pursue a ardour as the potential for failure looms.
Throughout CinemaBlend’s dialogue with the author/director of the brand new film, Shao shared that he wrote the script for the film early within the pandemic again in 2020 earlier than getting it picked up by Disney that very same summer season. Forward of the filmmaker’s debut film being amongst latest upcoming Disney films, he was named one in all Selection’s administrators to look at alongside Charlotte Wells, whose latest film Aftersun was amongst 2023 Oscar nominees, along with her lead Paul Mescal being nominated for Greatest Actor.
Whereas the basic ‘90s coming-of-age sports activities films Shao was influenced by definitely could be discovered within the premise, this film is advised with extra foresight in its message in regards to the excessive schooler being laser-focused on hitting a aim for the incorrect causes. Chang Can Dunk is barely the start for Shao, and we’re excited to see what influences his profession going ahead.
