X (Xavier), played by Bow Wow (given name Shad Gregory Moss), is a teenager who loves to roller skate with his crew at the legendary Gardens Rink on Chicago’s South Side. It’s the 1970s, when skates had four wheels, not thin rubber blades, and the lights played across the hardwood floors as everyone showed their stuff as they glided round to the music of The Ohio Players, Le Chic and Donny Hathaway, to name a few.

X rules the floor at the Gardens, as he and his boys precision skate for the last time before the Gardens closes its doors permanently after 25 years. The only place left to skate is on the North-Side at Sweetwater. It’s a long way off and unlike the Gardens, is upscale all the way with an integrated clientele.

While X was the king of the Gardens, Sweetness (Wesley Jonathan of "Baadasssss!") reigns supreme at Sweetwater. He’s as cool on skates as a young James Brown was on the dance floor. With the temptation of a skating competition with a $500 prize, X and Sweetness go head to head like Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.

The other, more serious sub-plot, at work here is the relationship between X and his father Curtis (Chi McBride of TVs "Boston Public"). X’s mom died not long ago and both he and his dad hurt deeply from the loss, though they try to hide this from each other. Curtis is a laid-off engineer, who puts on a happy face each morning as he leaves home dressed like a CEO. This is the 1970s and Curtis pounds the pavement looking for a new job. He answers want ads for engineers and is constantly told the position has been filled when they see this black man walk in. To make ends meet, Curtis takes a janitorial position to keep it all together. Filmed on Chicago’s South Side, this fantasy has a touch of reality that most films do not.

X meets Tori (Jurnee Smollett of "Eve’s Bayou"), a cute new girl in the neighborhood. She is clumsy on skates and wears very shiny braces that the guys take every opportunity to crack on. Tori’s mother Vivian (Kellita Smith of "The Bernie Mac Show" and "King’s Ransom") is so hot that we’re surprised that part of the PG-13 rating does not speak to sexuality. No doubt she’s the answer to the new woman needed in dad’s life. Add in the scantily clad teenage girls and the film clearly has strong sexual connotations.

Underneath the coming of age story are strong elements that elevate this movie beyond the routine. Chi McBride is the less than perfect father that any child could come to love. Naomi (Meagan Good of "Deliver Us from Eva" and "Venom") is interested in X, but he can’t devote time to her while he’s so hurt by his mother’s death, and so angry with his father. Without being overly cute, relationships develop in a somewhat predictable but realistic way. There are no losers in the film.

There is a lot of signifying, which the kids will enjoy. Adults will realize that the dialogue in the film is well ahead of its time, in some cases by 30 years. The film makes up for this with a killer soundtrack. If a kid ever wanted to know why people 50 or older are lukewarm to hip-hop, it’s because of the variety of music that was unique and a pleasure to listen to back in the day. "Roll Bounce" offers adults an opportunity to remember their pasts and to learn something about today, while the kids learn something about why their parents think the way they do.

Something about this movie that we can’t put our finger on keeps it from being great. Maybe it’s a little too naive and innocent after seeing films like "Hotel Rwanda," "The Constant Gardener" and "Lord of War" to appreciate the Disney touches as much as we should. Although, we insist that a movie should stand on its own for what it represents. And this film does represent an innocence of the times. In some situations (i.e., the discrimination) it points out the ignorance as well. It gets a solid rating because it was real about the culture of today as well as the ‘70s from both an adult and teenage perspective. For those of you that are looking for a family film, see it with your kids, even if you have to sit in a different part of the theater.

George’s Take: I recall when I worked at the Post Office in Chicago back in the ‘60s and there was a gentlemen I saw in a nice looking suit that I later observed working as a short order cook. And of course, when they pulled out my favorite Donny Hathaway album, which I have in my vinyl collection, the movie earned my respect for attention to detail.