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Ah…how time flies. One minute, you’re riding along on the wave of [mediocre] summer blockbusters. Then, out of nowhere, along comes a movie like Lottery Ticket, and you suddenly realize that Summer Blockbuster Season is officially over—and you’re stuck with the studio castoffs of August: the cheesy dramas, mind-numbing comedies, and corny action. I’m afraid there’s nothing you can do but sit back and hope for the best.
In Lottery Ticket, Bow Wow stars as Kevin Carson, a recent high school grad who’s always dreamed of designing his own line of shoes. But instead of going to design school, he’s decided to stay in the projects with his best friend, Benny (Brandon T. Jackson), work at Foot Locker, and help his grandma (Loretta Devine) pay the bills.
Everything changes when serious and sensible Kevin decides to take his chances on the lottery—and his ticket wins the $370 million jackpot. When his neighbors find out about his winning ticket, he’s suddenly everybody’s best friend—or their worst enemy. Most of Kevin’s neighbors start coming to him with their wish lists, but neighborhood thug Lorenzo (Gbenga Akinnagbe) wants more than just a new pair of shoes. He wants the ticket.
With the lottery office closed for the Fourth of July weekend, Kevin has to keep the ticket safe for three whole days before he can cash it in and claim his winnings.
Here, of course, is where hilarity is supposed to ensue. But what really ensues is far from hilarity. In fact, the only thing that’s truly hilarious about Lottery Ticket is just how ridiculous it is.
The story is scattered and uneven, rambling from one pointless (and completely over-the-top) scenario to another as Kevin celebrates his good fortune—all the while running around his rough, low-income neighborhood with a $370 million lottery ticket in his pocket. But, hey—what can possibly go wrong there?
The performances are horribly overdone, with cast members mugging for the camera like teenagers who just happened to stumble upon a TV news crew. The massive cast is noisy and chaotic, and their dialogue is barely intelligible.
But it’s all a bunch of goofy, slapstick fun and games until, suddenly, it’s time to get serious. Rookie director Erik White then piles on the valuable (and predictable) lessons as Kevin contemplates who his real friends are while learning the importance of giving back to the community and helping those around him.
At times, Lottery Ticket is silly and cartoonish. At other times, it’s ultra-serious and even preachy. Instead of a breezy summer comedy, it’s an unfunny, unlucky mess.
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