Juwanna Mann (Widescreen)

Juwanna Mann was hilarious. Its about pro baller Jamal Jefferies who has a fiery attitude. After he loses it in a game, he is kicked out of the league. He wants to play basketball so bad that he poses as a woman so he can play in the woman's pro league and along the way becomes a better person. Miguel A. Nunez Jr. was great, I dont know why he is not in more movies, he is just as funny as Eddie Murphy. Kim Wayans was also very funny, but Tommy Davidson was the best. His voice for Puff Smokey Smoke cracked me up every time he talked. This movielooks kinda stupid, but it is as funny as the next movie you will see.

Hoop fans had the choice of not one but two basketball pictures in 2002 - 'lil Bow Wow's truly flacid LIKE MIKE and Warner Bros.' vastly superior JUWANNA MANN. Bounced from the NBA for his incessant bad behaviour, Jamal Jeffries (Miguel A. Nunez, Jr.), plucks his brows, shaves his legs, and takes to the court of the WBA as the sassy and flashy Juwanna Mann, (Vivica A. Fox). Liberally sprinkled with moments of humour and insight, JUWANNA MANN is a "slam-dunk" to please hoop fans and students of the human condition alike.

Juwanna Mann(released Jun/02)stars Miguel Nunez Jr.in this better than average comedy as a "star" basketball player,who gets a much needed life altering experience/lesson.It also stars Vivica Fox,Kevin Pollack,Kim Wayans and Tommy Davidson;the latter two from the highly successful show In Living Colour.
The plot involves Nunez who is a star basketball player by the name of Jamal Jeffries,whose ego is only surpassed by the huge meltdown he has during a game in which,among other things,he moons the crowd.He is immediately suspended from the league and without a paycheck his extravagant social life comes crashing down around him.Broke and living with his Aunt,he comes up with a scheme to play in the major womens basketball league.He dresses up(much too convincingly I must say!),cons his former manager into signing him to a contract and ends up playing in the major womens league as he wanted,as Juwanna Mann.He is as successful there as he was with his former male teammates but again his ego starts to get in the way as he becomes a one man/woman team.He eventually falls in love with one of the teammates but learns some much needed life lessons to boot.His cover finally is blown when he does what his manager warned him not to,as he slam dunks a ball and in the process smashes the back glass.At the same time he loses his wig and the con is revealed for all to see.
Sitting before a tribunal to gain access back into the men's major league,his former lady team mates all come to rally around and support him.The film ends as his girlfriend gives him the team winners ring and a kiss.
Well acted all around,the entire cast is a boost to Nunez Jr.,who plays a strikingly beautiful girl player in the film in order to keep playing the game he loves.There are alot of nice comedy moments and Tommy Davidson plays an over the top suitor to Nunez's' Juwanna Mann.The main message of course is the human element of being a good person and overcoming ego to pursue that road.But it is all wrapped up in good fun and that's what counts.
Technically the film is in its a/r of 1:85:1 and the picture is clear and crisp.Extras include a music vid by Fat Joe,the trailer,commentaries,and a behind the scenes featurette.
All in all an above average comedy with a wonderful life lesson lesson in the mix and Miguel Nunez Jr.going the extra mile in his wildly convincing cross-dressing role as Juwanna Mann.It didn't seem to get alot of traction when first released but I think this under rated sleeper is definitely worth the look.