Safety: La última línea de defensa

Ray-Ray McElrathbey (Jay Reeves) is a man with a bright future. He is a gifted athlete who has accepted a Football scholarship to Clemson and is about to take the first steps towards a better future. In the new Disney + film "Safety" Ray-Ray is about to learn how complicated life as a student athlete can be.

Based on a true story; Ray-Ray struggles with adapting to the more complex defensive schemes, Freshman hazing, class and practice schedules, and adjusting to his new life. His roommate and teammate Daniel (Hunter Sansone); offers him frequent support as being a low on the depth-chart kicker has taught him a perspective on things.

Ray-Ray meets a lady named Kaycee (Corinne Foxx) and sees his life on campus start to improve until life steps in to further complicate things. His young brother Fahmarr (Thaddeus J. Mixson); has been removed from the care of his mother due to her numerous substance issues. With only his gangster relative available; Ray-Ray agrees to care for his brother rather than turn him over to the Foster systems. Unfortunately for Ray-Ray; having his brother in the dorm with him is a strict violation and his continued care of his brother and the complications it causes threaten his scholarship and very future.

The film is a very touching and engaging look at the extent a person is willing to go to care for a family member and how the politics of college sports often conflict with what appear to be sensible and worthy actions by players and coaches.

The film does not go overboard with game sequences and there is no big game moment as the focus is on the characters and their relationships. "Safety" is one of the more pleasant surprises of the year and one not to miss.

4 stars out of 5

Has a low budget feel to it with mediocre acting. It's cheesier than I would have liked, and is much more geared towards kids than adults. However, the two stars do a solid enough job to carry it through. Corinne Fox is gorgeous and potentially a future star, although she's not there yet. There are also enough laughs sprinkled throughout to help lighten the mood. Good enough for a one-time viewing, but that's about it.

Safety is the sort of movie one would expect from Disney: a rousing, heartwarming, family-friendly story dramatized for the Big Screen (or now, for streaming). But the film is not shot with flair, the jumps in logic are obvious and distracting, and aside from the commendable character development, the film felt rather flat and thinly plotted.

"Safety" is a safe holiday film for the whole family. But beyond that, there is nothing here that remotely resembles a touch down.

I like movies based on real people so I was looking forward to this one. While it had potential, it never really lived up to it. Somehow it never grabbed you like other movies of this type. Look to movies like "Rudy", "Invincible", "Remember the Titans". "We Are Marshall". "Greater" and others before watching this one. Perhaps the writers and directors should have watched them too.

Safety is based on an interesting true story, but it's done by filmmakers who didn't quite tell it right. This movie rambles on a little too long at times (it clocks in at over two hours) and it glosses over other plot points that could have been interesting. This Disney film plays it safe and sticks to the tried and true inspirational sports movie formula. It's a movie the whole family can watch (and eventually forget) together.