23 Blast

Name: 23 Blast
Genre: Drama, Sport, Family
Released: October 24, 2014
Duration: 98 min
Rating: 45
Cast: Alexa PenaVega, Becky Ann Baker, Bram Hoover, Dylan Baker, Kim Zimmer

2014

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 8 Ratings

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3.8

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3.8	User Score Generally unfavorable reviews based on 8 Ratings

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23 Blast

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Movie Details & Credits

Ocean Avenue Entertainment | Release Date: October 24, 2014 | PG-13

Starring: Alexa PenaVega, Becky Ann Baker, Bram Hoover, Dylan Baker, Kim Zimmer, Mark Hapka, Max Adler, Stephen Lang, Timothy Busfield

Summary: When high school football star Travis Freeman (Mark Hapka) is suddenly stricken with irreversible, total blindness, he must decide whether to live a safe, protected life or to summon the courage through playing football to step back into the world.

Director: Dylan Baker

Genre(s): Drama, Sport, Family

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 98 min

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Critic Reviews

Mick LaSalle

Oct 23, 2014

There’s the sense here that living in a tiny community can either make you bigger or smaller, and in 23 Blast we see both types, from the petty to the stoic and self-reliant. Read full review

Bill Zwecker

Oct 23, 2014

The message of inspiration is strong and certainly qualifies as solid family entertainment. I only wish there were fewer trite truisms scattered throughout the script and less predictable dialogue for the solid troupe of actors to deliver. Read full review

Michael Rechtshaffen

Oct 22, 2014

Stepping behind the camera, versatile actor Dylan Baker makes an assured directorial debut, drawing spirited performances from his seasoned cast while mainly steering clear of the usual, treacly movie-of-the week conventions that often go with the territory. Read full review

Sandie Angulo Chen

Oct 23, 2014

Despite the decent performances, the script by first-time screenwriter Toni Hoover (who reportedly Googled “how to write a screenplay” after deciding to chronicle the story of her blinded football-playing friend) swings from flat to overly sentimental, while Baker’s rookie direction is predictable and occasionally confusing. Read full review

Robert Abele

Oct 23, 2014

Once tragedy strikes, the clichés in Bram and Toni Hoover's screenplay win out, and Baker never stirs up enough energy to make it feel any different from a thousand other tales of underdog triumph. Read full review

Neil Genzlinger

Oct 23, 2014

Although the film has moments when it’s serious about exploring the challenges that someone in Travis’s situation faces, it ultimately prefers to be just another football movie with a hokey big-game ending. Read full review

Josh Kupecki

Oct 22, 2014

23 Blast is a well-acted inspirational sports drama that never quite rises above the treacly mire of cliches that seem inherent to the genre. Read full review

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User Reviews

Tss5078

Dec 12, 2016

Movies can inspire us by introducing us to people who overcome the odds, despite having much bigger problems than we do. Most of these films are based on true stories, and are as real as it gets, but sometimes, no matter how amazing the story, it doesn't necessarily make for the best cinema.Movies can inspire us by introducing us to people who overcome the odds, despite having much bigger problems than we do. Most of these films are based on true stories, and are as real as it gets, but sometimes, no matter how amazing the story, it doesn't necessarily make for the best cinema. 23 Blast is one of those films, as it tells the inspirational true story of Travis Freeman (Mark Hapka), a star High School Football player, on his way to a College scholarship, when a rare illness struck him blind. For many High School students, football is just a means to popularity, but for Travis, football was his whole life. His illness left him devastated and almost killed him, until miraculously, with the help of an unorthodox coach and supportive teammates, Travis was able to play again. The story here is almost unbelievable, and while it would make for a terrific episode of ESPN's 30 for 30, I found it severely lacking in content for a feature film. 23 Blast is the directorial debut of actor, Dylan Baker, and while he does a great job of telling the story and inspiring the audience, there just isn't enough story here to keep people interested for a full ninety minutes. The film focuses a lot on Travis's depression and rehabilitation, while a key component of the story, it also takes up a good majority of the film. If one were to shorten those scenes, there wouldn't be enough for a full length film. As for the young cast, they turned in surprisingly strong performances, in particular Mark Hapka, was excellent, but in the end it all comes down to this. 23 Blast, while inspirational, also moves extremely slowly, as it keeps coming back around to a single focus, Travis's illness. There is no deviation from the main story line, and things continue to go around in circles, until the last half hour or so when they finally get to the point. Basically, I loved the story, Travis Freeman is an inspiration, but the film is a bit of a snooze.… Expand

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