Sports clichés win out
Brandon Routh is a reluctant coach of a ragtag lacrosse team. The typical tales of redemption ensue.
The new film “Crooked Arrows” might involve two lesser-seen screen subjects — Native Americans and lacrosse — but it still can’t break free of the usual underdog sports picture tropes.
The result is a well-meaning checklist of a film that, as directed by Steve Rash from a script by Todd Baird and Brad Riddell, lacks sufficient charm or off-the-field vigor to fully score its intended goal.
Brandon Routh stars as Joe Logan, a mixed-blood Native American — of the fictional Sunaquats — and former high school lacrosse star now working as his upstate New York reservation’s casino manager.
But when Joe’s part in a casino plan to expand on Sunaquat turf blindsides his tribal chairman father (Gil Birmingham), a bargain is struck: Joe must coach the reservation’s ailing student lacrosse team in exchange for tribal approval on the sensitive land deal.
Can redemption and triumph be far behind for the coach and his ragtag players? The answer, in this case, is obvious.
On the plus side, there’s some vivid stickwork and the film’s spiritual, historical and cultural perspectives — including the reminder that lacrosse has ancient Native American roots — prove enlightening.
It also helps that the movie is cast with so much ethnic and athletic authenticity; even ex-“Superman” Routh is part Native American.
Unfortunately, that bit of veracity doesn’t offset the handsome actor’s only blandly serviceable performance.