Keke Palmer has a grounded, unaffected seriousness that previously rooted Akeelah and the Bee and now anchors The Longshots, which is based on the first girl football player in a Pop Warner league. The movie is generic and conventional for the most part, yet it has a certain weight whenever Palmer is on the screen. As Jasmine, the bookworm turned quarterback, she has a sturdy presence that’s both athletic and dramatic. With Ice Cube; directed by Fred Durst (yes, of Limp Bizkit fame).
