Big Shots

BIG SHOTS is a pre-teen version of THE DEFIANT ONES. Rickie Busker's dad, Bill Hudson, succumbs to a heart attack. The boy gets on his bike and rides furiously away, ending up deep in a Chicago ghetto where he meets Darius McCrary, a street-wise black kid about his own age. In trying to retrieve a watch that was stolen from Busker, the boys run afoul of a pair of hired killers and start growing up in a hurry. BIG SHOTS has lots of action, a great deal of humor, and two terrific performances by McCrary and Busker. While some of the shenanigans are somewhat strained, the results are nonetheless enjoyable.