Roll Bounce

When their neighborhood roller rink closes, a group of African-American youths, led by Bow Wow (“Lil” no more and growing into quite a handsome young star), go across town to an upscale rink, where they’re treated like interlopers but are determined to fit in. Director Malcolm D. Lee and writer Norman Vance Jr. revisit the roller-disco fad of the late 1970s (which lasted only slightly longer than this movie runs), with enjoyable results: disco music, funky clothes and all. The script has flashes of genuine sentiment (especially between Bow Wow and Chi McBride as his widowed father) but suffers from a surfeit of strained yo-mama jokes, while Lee encourages supporting players to overact with the camera too close. Still, the movie has high spirits, a good heart and exhilarating skate-and-dance numbers.