The Air Up There

Add "The Air Up There" to the apparent string of Disney sports comedies — "Cool Runnings," "The Mighty Ducks," the upcoming "Mighty Ducks 2" — that take the "Rocky" formula and spin it into family fare.

In this case, Kevin Bacon stars as Jimmy Dolan, a college basketball assistant coach with a chip on his shoulder. He wants the coaching job — and the coach is about to retire. But he needs something impressive to help him land it.

He finds it in Saleh (Charles Gitonga Maina), an African prince who stands 6-foot-6 and dunks like a pro.

When Jimmy gets to Africa and locates the Winabi tribe, he finds Saleh ready to be recruited. But there's one hitch. Saleh's tribe is being oppressed by local toughs, and he can't leave until something is done about it.

If you've never seen a movie, you may be surprised as the story goes into two specific directions, the big basketball game finale and the change in Bacon's attitude as he learns there are things more important in life than his own success.

Especially silly is Bacon's initiation into the tribe, which requires him to use mountain-climbing skills that Sylvester Stallone didn't have in "Cliffhanger."

Bacon's natural charm helps, and Maina is also enjoyable. But the film is so routine and lightweight that it never gets off the ground . . . so to speak.

"The Air Up There" is rated PG for on-the-court violence, some profanity and a few vulgar gags.