I'm referring to White Men Can't Jump, an always-surprising, altogether agreeable basketball flick that made fleeting stars out of Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson and Rosie Perez. Woody is Billy Hoyle, a small-time court hustler whose chump attire enables him to swindle Sidney Deane (Snipes), a Venice Beach dunker so thoroughly impressed by Billy's routine that he suggests they partner up for a series of scams in the fringe areas of Los Angeles.

Billy, on the run from his gambling debts with trivia-hound girlfriend Gloria (Perez, an acquired taste) in tow, agrees to the terms of Sidney's proposition, including greater gambles (and hence, bigger payoffs). Billy carries his bank account in a jar, making Gloria anxious for some stability (their strained relationship hits not a single false note, due to a mixture of keen performances and obviously experiential writing); Sidney, a too-occasional carpenter, has a wife (Tyra Ferrell) and child desperate to live in a safer neighbourhood. Shelton smartly prioritizes family above couplehood--Sidney's needs above Gloria's--even if it means turning our sympathies against Billy, a totally witless wagerer.

Fortunately, White Men Can't Jump treats its departures into economic reflection with (non-dismissive) humour. In one sadly ironic scene, a black champ makes a $500 bet against Sidney, and says he just needs to get the money from his car. The camera then follows him as he retrieves a handgun from his glove compartment, crosses the street, enters a convenience store and attempts to rob the cashier. No one gets hurt, and jokes ensue from the situation, yet this was no mere lip service to South Central poverty. Indeed, the climax is structured around Sidney's need to recoup his burgled savings.

Awkwardly so, granted. There are storytellers with more finesse than Shelton: one is also left asking how it is that Sidney knows the game on every court in town, and yet news of his and Billy's scheme doesn't seem to travel beyond the familiar mesh fences. And as sparklingly as Snipes, Harrelson, and a host of talented African-American names machine gun Shelton's profane insults at one another, the verbal abuse, much of it admittedly quite funny, never sounds as spur-of-the-moment as it should. Score a few additional points in White Men Can't Jump's favour, however, for its super tempo (this is also the best-paced of Shelton's films), a brave ending, and characters who remain watchable at their most culpable.

The image on Fox's 1.85:1, 16x9-enhanced DVD version of the film ranges from good to great after an unpromisingly murky opening credits sequence. Colour and shadow detail are this disc's strong suit: bold hues dominate the outdoor b-ball games because of the crazy pastel outfits Sidney and company wear, and the transfer handles them sans bleeding or break-up. There is a slight softness and weaker contrast to the interior moments, nothing remotely unacceptable. The Dolby Surround mix is dull; I kept imagining the wonders a dedicated LFE channel would have done for the soundtrack's rap music, which exhibits minimal bass here. The rear speakers spring into action only once memorably, during a community-sponsored tournament.

This edition of White Men Can't Jump first appeared as a LaserDisc-exclusive in 1992. Shelton has reinstated a cute bus ride conversation between Billy and Gloria that was cut for reasons unbeknownst (the packaging gives no indication) prior to the film's theatrical release. Other bonuses: a TV spot, two trailers, and the music video for Riff's (where are they now?) horrifying title song.-Bill Chambers