Jingyi Shao is the director of the Disney+ original sports comedy-drama “Chang Can Dunk” from 2023. The protagonist of this film is Chang, a sophomore in high school who is a huge basketball fan. The two lads make a bet after Chang’s ex-classmate from elementary school and current adversary, Matt, begins attempting to win over the same lady Chang likes. Matt will have to shave his head and give Chang his prized Kobe Bryant jersey if Chang can make a slam by homecoming. Chang will have to shave his head and give up his first edition Pokémon trading card, though, if he is unable to complete the dunk. As the plot develops, Chang encounters a variety of fresh challenges and unearths fresh dimensions of his interactions with the people in his life. The moving coming-of-age film “Chang Can Dunk” explores issues of high school, basketball, and family. Here are some suggestions for stories that are comparable if you’re looking for them. The majority of these films that are comparable to “Chang Can Dunk” are available on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu.
17 Again (2009)
Burr Steers is the director of the teen comedy “17 Again,” starring Zac Efron. It centres on Mike O’Donnell, a former basketball standout in high school, who gave up playing after learning that his high school lover was expecting him. Mike’s life has since rapidly declined, and at the age of 37, he is now unemployed and going through a divorce. He is miraculously transformed back into his 17-year-old self, giving him a second start at life. The protagonist of “17 Again” views basketball as a way to improve his life, just like “Chang Can Dunk” did. Both films are sports dramas that put more of an emphasis on how sports affect the characters’ lives than on the sport itself.
Boogie (2021)
Boogie is a sports drama about the lives of Alfred “Boogie” Chin, a gifted basketball player from Queens, New York, and Eddie Huang’s directorial debut. It chronicles Boogie’s life as he tries to balance his aspirations of playing in the NBA with his parent’s demands for college and scholarships. Both “Boogie” and “Chang Can Dunk” centre on the experiences of Asian-Americans and highlight how parental expectations and pressure influence children. Both films include realistic main characters that are passionate about basketball and want to alter their life via it, while yet being genuine.
Karate Kid (2010)
“Karate Kid,” starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith, is a remake of the same-titled 1984 movie. This Harald Zwart-directed action drama features martial arts as its central theme. The film centres on a young man named Dre Parker who has just immigrated to China. While he struggles to fit in at a new location, Dre becomes friends with Mr. Han. Following a confrontation with Dre’s bully Cheng and his martial arts instructor Master Li, Mr. Han begins preparing Dre for an upcoming Kung Fu competition. Dre seeks to woo Mei Ying, a student at his school, as they become closer. In “The Karate Kid,” the dynamic between Chang and Deandre—the person who teaches Chang football—is comparable to that between Dre and Mr. Han. Fans of “Chang Can Dunk” will like “The Karate Kid,” which has plotlines and ideas that are similar to those of t he earlier film.
Slam Dunk Earnest (1995)
John R. Cherry III’s sports comedy Slam Dunk Earnest stars Ernest P. Worrell, a made-up character who has previously appeared in a number of advertisements and TV programmes. The story follows Ernest as he makes an attempt to join a basketball team despite not having any basketball skills. However, when he discovers a pair of magical sneakers and deceives his way into being a basketball phenomenon, things start to change. Ernest has a similar interest in basketball to Chang from “Chang Can Dunk,” despite not being any good at it. Basketball movie fans who liked “Chang Can Dunk” will enjoy “Slam Dunk Ernest,” which is hilarious and lighthearted.
Space Jam (1996)
One of the most recognisable basketball movies for families ever is Space Jam, which was directed by Joe Pytka and stars Michael Jordan. The basketball game between Bugs Bunny’s Looney Tunes gang and the evil Nerdlucks is the focal point of the film. The athletic prowess of NBA stars like Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing, however, is stolen by the Nerdlucks. Bugs Bunny enlists the assistance of renowned basketball player Michael Jordan as retribution. Like “Space Jam,” “Chang Can Dunk” is a lighthearted and enjoyable basketball movie that non-basketball fans can also enjoy.
Teen Wolf (1985)
The coming-of-age comedy “Teen Wolf,” which was directed by Rod Daniel, features Michael J. Fox in the title role. Scott Howard is a typical high school student who competes for the Beavers, a basketball team with little ability at his school. However, when Scott learns that he comes from a family of werewolves and begins using his werewolf talents to win basketball games, things start to look up for The Beavers. The way Scott handles the fame that playing basketball brings him will be compared to Chang by “Chang Can Dunk” fans. Ultimately, “Teen Wolf” is an amusing film with an outrageous idea that audiences will like.
The Edge of Seventeen (2016)
The comedy-drama “The Edge of Seventeen” stars Hailee Steinfeld and Woody Harrelson. Kelly Fremon Craig is making her directing debut with it as well. Nadine Franklin, a socially shy junior in high school, and her popular older brother Darian engage in heated competition. Things start to get out of hand for Nadine when Darian begins dating her best friend, Krista. Nadine eventually manages to resolve her issues, though, thanks to an odd friendship with Erwin and advice from her high school instructor Max Bruner. The fantastic coming-of-age film “The Edge of Seventeen” features a likeable and genuine teenage protagonist. It will be interesting to watch and has similarities to “Chang Can Dunk” in terms of family and friendship aspects.
Turning Red (2022)
The Pixar animated family comedy “Turning Red” marks Domee Shi’s feature-length directing debut. A talented cast, including Sandra Oh, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, and Rosalie Chiang, voices the roles in this film. Mei Lee, 13, is obsessed with the boyband 4*TOWN and has a stern and conservative mother named Ming. She is just like any other tween, but when her emotions take over, she transforms into a huge red panda. When Ming’s mother learns of this peculiarity in her, she is forced to decide between being her mother’s obedient daughter and pursuing her passion.
Both “Turning Red” and “Chang Can Dunk” are excellent films that explore the relationships between parents and their children and Asian Americans. As protagonists, Mei and Chang are very similar to one another. Both of them become famous for their passions and experience life-changing events that cause them to reassess their priorities. Changing Red is a movie that you should see if you liked “Chang Can Dunk.”
