Rotten Tomatoes
Suggestions will appear as you start typing. Submit search Movies Tv shows RT App New News Showtimes

Thunderstruck

Play trailer Poster for Thunderstruck PG,  2012,  1h 33m,  Kids & Family/ Comedy/ Fantasy Play Trailer Watchlist
Stream Now Watchlist 27% 11 Reviews Tomatometer 70% 5,000+ Ratings Popcornmeter
27% Tomatometer 11 Reviews 70% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
A teenage klutz (Taylor Gray) becomes the star of his high-school basketball team when he magically acquires the abilities of his hero, NBA star Kevin Durant -- but the switch leaves Durant unable to score.
Watch on Fandango Stream Now

Where to Watch

Thunderstruck

Stream

Rent Thunderstruck on Fandango, or buy it on Fandango.

Critics Reviews

View More
Marjorie Baumgarten Austin Chronicle Aug 31, 2012
1/5
Headlining a less-than-mediocre kids' movie taints one's brand rather than enhancing it. Just ask Shaq. Go to Full Review
Sean O'Connell Washington Post Aug 24, 2012
2.5/4
Sells itself on durable messages about strong work ethic, the importance of community relations and playing to one's individual potential. Go to Full Review
Nell Minow Beliefnet Aug 23, 2012
C
This "Freaky Friday" with basketball keeps throwing airballs. Go to Full Review
Kelly Jane Torrance Washington Examiner Dec 21, 2018
2.5/4
It's a family-friendly movie with a warmhearted message for children that -- surprisingly -- isn't too cheesy for their parents to enjoy as well. Go to Full Review
Sandie Angulo Chen Common Sense Media Sep 5, 2012
2/5
Talent-swapping basketball tale is bland but OK for kids. Go to Full Review
Todd Jorgenson Cinemalogue Aug 29, 2012
It might be more effective with a hint of subtlety and a premise that isn't so flimsy and formulaic. Go to Full Review
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Albus W Oct 28, 2018 May very well be the worst movie I've ever seen.
Theodore W Apr 25, 2018 only decent acting in this movie was KD's agent plus its not realistic those kid were twice the size of brain they would have beat his ass same way if KD was in a game with a bunch of 14 foot mother fuckers talent like that doesn't out rule genetics See more
Luke P Mar 18, 2018 Thunderstruck is a film that has been harshly criticized by many critics. Many of them believe that the film has no purpose, and has no humor or realistic potential. The film has very good purpose and is overall a very good film. The movie has very good educational value, it stars potentially one of the best basketball players on the planet, and Thunderstruck is also very humorous. Kevin Durant has been criticized for being a terrible actor. However, the NBA star acts how he does in real life to make the movie seem way more realistic. The educational value is the theme of the film. When the kid becomes a basketball sensation, he lets the fame get to his head. The theme shows that if you get ahead of yourself, then you will lose everything. Educational value is a very important aspect when it comes to creating a film. Although, Thunderstruck is meant for a younger audience, the movie still has great educational value. The purpose of Thunderstruck is to show the result of someone becoming cocky, when they receive plenty of fame. In the film the main character, Brian, has a strong passion for basketball, however, he is lacking any skill whatsoever for the sport. When he meets NBA star, Kevin Durant, they accidentally switch talents and he becomes a basketball sensation overnight. Brian then gets caught up in all of the fame of becoming a basketball prodigy, and then his personality begins to change into a overconfident, and arrogant person. The movie presents what happens when someone gets caught up in the fame, they begin to lose strong relationships with their friends' and family members. The educational value for this movie is great, giving the film purpose. In order for a movie to become great, there has to be a strong and famous actor playing one of the main roles. Some actors are better for different genres, for example Liam Neeson plays a great role for an action movie. Kevin Durant is a perfect actor for the role he is playing in. He has a ton of credibility to be acting in a basketball based film, because he has played in NBA basketball playoff games and has even won the NBA Most Valuable Player award in 2014. In the movie, when Kevin shoots around he can act normal giving the audience an insight on how he acts and behaves every day. Having Kevin Durant in the film really brings realistic aspects to the movie that not many people would be able to do. He plays a role for himself which makes it realistic and entertaining to for the audience and overall a better film. Another vital aspect to having a great movie is to add some humor into it. This is an easy way to create entertainment in a movie. Thunderstruck is filled with plenty of scenes that will make the audience laugh as they become more entertained. For example, when Kevin Durant is struggling to make his shots, after switching basketball skills with Brian, his agent was furious of his performance on the court, which was very hilarious. Also, Brian attempts a half court shot at the Oklahoma City Thunder game, and hits the mascot for the team in the head. These are just 2 of many examples of the movie attracting giggles and snickers from the audience. The humor makes the movie more interesting, and entertaining to watch making the movie better than what the critics believe. There are plenty of amazing things about Thunderstruck, however, not everyone believes that this movie is as great as it is. Many different critics have different, negative opinions stating that the movie is not very good at all. Sandie Chen from Common Sense Media believes that the movie has a low educational value and has no humor throughout the movie whatsoever. However, he believes that the presence of Kevin Durant in the movie helps create a positive representation of the movie. Also, Marina Mangiaracina from SBnation believes that the plot was weak and it could've been shown in about 15 minutes because it wasn't very strong at all. All of these negative assumptions about the movie are false, Thunderstruck is a great movie for many different reasons. Although the critics state that the movie has low educational value, there is no humor, and the plot is very weak, there is plenty of evidence to prove that Thunderstruck is a entertaining and purposeful movie. This includes a strong plot that includes all of the 5 stages of a story-structure, consistent humor, and a meaningful conclusion to the film. Although, Thunderstruck is negatively reviewed by many critics, they are wrong. The movie is a very high quality film for many reasons. The educational value in Thunderstruck gives the movie purpose, Kevin Durant makes the film more realistic, and it is entertaining because of the consistent humor throughout the film. All of this matters because Thunderstruck is receiving constant negative criticism that is false. The producers deserve to receive positive credit for the incredible movie they have created. See more
Hermione R Aug 7, 2017 It is just like Like Mike but the power is tranferfed from KD to the kid Brian. It includes real NBA footage and it is really a good movie to watch with kids. See more
Theodore G Mar 7, 2017 NBA superstar Kevin Durant plays himself in this action- packed family film about a basketball star who switches talent with a klutzy 16-year-old fan. When Brian (Taylor Gray) magically switches basketball skills with his hero, Kevin Durant, he becomes the star of his high school team... while Kevin Durant suddenly can't make a shot to save his life. But with the playoffs approaching, Brian learns that being a true winner means working hard at your own game, and he tries to make things right in time to prevent a catastrophic end to his hero's season. See more
Finn S Feb 19, 2017 A really dumb movie, but you get a lot of laughs from it, some good some bad.
Read all reviews
Thunderstruck

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING
Robo-Dog 57% Robo-Dog Watchlist Bad Hair Day 46% Bad Hair Day Watchlist Pastor Shepherd 50% Pastor Shepherd Watchlist Antboy 43% 37% Antboy Watchlist Pants on Fire 45% Pants on Fire Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis A teenage klutz (Taylor Gray) becomes the star of his high-school basketball team when he magically acquires the abilities of his hero, NBA star Kevin Durant -- but the switch leaves Durant unable to score.
Director
John Whitesell
Producer
Mike Karz
Screenwriter
Eric Champnella, Jeff Farley
Distributor
Warner Bros.
Production Co
Karz Entertainment, Goodwin Sports
Rating
PG (Rude Humor|Mild Language)
Genre
Kids & Family, Comedy, Fantasy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 24, 2012, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 20, 2013
Runtime
1h 33m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
Join The Newsletter Join The Newsletter Cookie Settings