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9 of 9 found the following review helpful:
 Kinda boring May 17, 2009
By D. Stewart
"dstewart_22"
I got a chance to watch this on ESPN and had high hopes that it would be very good. Not exactly what I was expecting. Basically you get Kobe with a hidden mic during a game and as the game (between L.A. and Spurs) goes on Kobe is watching the game and commenting on what he was thinking at that very moment. It's like watching a dvd with commentary option set to on. The game itself was boring as you sit there watching and thinking, "wow...is this going to get good?" I think of highlights from Jordan days and his films being like, "wow.....that was amazing...." Kobe has plenty of highlights they could have mixed in or at least on a bonus disc but this was as bland as a popcorn rice cake.
The nice part in the documentary is getting on the inside. Getting in the locker room and seeing what goes on was nice. The whole idea is good but it really just wasn't interesting. Kobe fumbled alot when in the game and the film crew was trying very hard to capture this awesome moment and.......just didn't get it. The only nice parts in the movie where when they showed his family and his daughters at the end. Very touching but in terms of "execution" of the film and basketball? Not entertaining. I rate it three stars just because I'm a Kobe fan. Just was expecting more from Spike on this one. It was okay to watch once....but that's about it. Nothing to go running to your friends to strongly suggest. Nice to see good team play but it looked like a bad game for Kobe overall on the film.
Now if Spike could have only captured the game against Toronto where Kobe dropped 81 points. That would have been great to see. I'd rather watch that game in it's full length than watch this movie again.
6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
Only True Basketball Fans Will Understand May 17, 2009
By Jesse J. Reyes
"Kobe Doin' Work" is a short documentary with the goal of showing a part of the game that people have never seen before. Spike Lee chose Kobe Bryant because he is not only the greatest player in the game right now but because of the impact he has on his team. If you watch this film, you will understand why they call the Lakers "Kobe's Team." You will also gain a new respect for Kobe who has proven to be the reason for Laker success. Despite the game being a blowout for the Lakers, it is interesting to hear what exactly goes through Kobe's mind. Spike shot Kobe beautifully and succeeded in in getting his vision across. This film is not for everyone. Only the Laker faithfull and true basketball players can appreciate this insightfull documentary.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Must-think for even diehard Kobe fans Nov 27, 2010
By Yun Seok Oh
I like the idea, I like the player, I like the director, but I don't like the end result.
Disclaimer first. You have to understand that filming inside the locker room, in HD, is something players and coaches are not very cool with. The league and the front office is also not to keen on this as they have an image to maintain. Also, with all the broadcasting rights (although I guess they were with ESPN so not much problem there perhaps) and additional cameras, Spike had ONE shot at getting this.
He chose the Spurs game because there was some rivalry and there could be some juicy plots in addition to it being a very competitive game bringing the best out of Kobe.
Unfortunately, the game was a dud, with the outcome very well in hand and thus the movie itself became dull. It is still 'interesting' in that you get to see and hear things that you normally wouldn't, but in this age of blogs and tweets, nothing is really groundbreaking, and Kobe himself has not yet earned his Shaq-less championship so he is not as relaxed and candid. You could almost see the awkwardness in the reactions of his teammates, although you can't be sure if that was because they were being filmed or because Kobe was at his Media behavior.
It is cool to watch as a TV special, although on the boring side, but I am not sure if it's worth $10 in blu-ray. In a sense I guess it's really living up to its title - 'doin' work' - in that nothing extraordinary happens and it is really just another game, just another day of work.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Love it! Jul 20, 2010
By lakersbruins
I respect Kobe so much more now. This is a must have for any basketball fan. But I'm a Lakers for life, so definitely if you are a lakers fan buy it! I'm using all of Kobes pre and post game work. I respect him so much more now. Spike did a great job. Must have!
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
"This film is about one great player, one day, on the job." May 10, 2010
By H. Bala
"Me Too Can Read"
There's a jokey, fun-loving side to Kobe Bryant's personality, and we've seen flashes of it in interviews and in behind-the-scenes locker room stuff. KOBE DOIN' WORK, in spots, does demonstrate this lightheartedness. But Kobe, who provides the commentary for this documentary, seems focused on informing the audience of his thought processes as he surveys the floor and on delving into the strategies behind the plays which unfold. For pure basketball fans, Kobe's articulate but dry assessments make for a fascinating listen. It's certainly enlightening stuff and you can't help but note his love for the game and the sheer competitive nature of the guy. But if you're a casual hoops person, you might yawn a few times.
The director here is Spike Lee and he sums up this documentary nicely: "This film is about one great player, one day, on the job." He also says, "We just wanted to capture how Kobe sees the game." and that also sums it up nicely. On April 13, 2008, during the 2007-08 NBA season, Spike Lee was granted access and a lot of leeway to the tune of 30 cameras which tracked a miked-up Kobe Bryant as the Los Angeles Lakers played their perennial rivals, the San Antonio Spurs, in one of those statement games, these two teams jockeying for playoff position in the Western Conference.
This is all 20/20 hindsight talk but Spike Lee should've picked another game to film. Like maybe the barnburner in which Kobe scored 61 points against the New York Knicks. That same evening, Kobe recorded his commentary for this documentary, and he was certainly busting Spike's chops enough about his record-setting performance over Spike Lee's beloved Knicks. Against the Spurs Kobe didn't have as luminous an accounting, although he certainly had his fingerprints all over that game.
I was looking forward to this documentary because a) I live in Los Angeles and so am a Lakers fan and b) I'm a basketball fan, period. This could've been LeBron or Dwight Howard or Shaq doing the commentary and I would've been riveted. But there's something about Kobe. You see the skills and the grace, the toughness and the cold-bloodedness, and then you also recognize the cerebral aspect. Kobe knows his stuff. We get treated to Kobe's pre-game preparations and to the hallway ritual before the game, and to most of the game itself, from the opening tip up to the closing seconds. We glimpse timeout huddles and halftime in the locker room, and the entire time, Kobe doesn't shut his yap. I knew Kobe was involved and talked to his teammates during games, but I didn't know it was to this extent.
Commentary-wise, Kobe tends to focus most on the X's and O's of the game, but he does reward us with occasional nuggets regarding his teammates and colleagues. He talks about the joy of playing against the very physical (and sorta dirty) Bruce Bowen and Kurt Thomas. He ribs Sasha quite a bit, Sasha being like a kid brother to him. He observes the tendencies of his teammates and orchestrates plays to get them involved, and it really does seem as if he knows his opponents of the day; he's played the Spurs often enough. Kobe is great at breaking down the minutiae of the game. He goes a bit into the nuances of the triangle. You hear him speak fluent Italian. He cusses occasionally and then makes an observation about profanity in sports.
Watching this, one is struck with the transitory nature of team makeup in sports. It's not as common nowadays for athletes to stay with one team for their entire career. In the NBA, currently, there's Kobe, there's Tim Duncan, when one mentions eye-catching names. In KOBE DOIN' WORK there's a bittersweet taste for Lakers fans as they catch fleeting footage of Chris Mimh, Vlade Radmanovich, and, most notably, Rony Turiaf, teammates who've moved on.
The cameras place you right in the center of the action, giving you a fresh and different viewpoint than from what you normally get watching hoops on TV. You also get to hear the dialogue that goes on during the game. Meanwhile, the jazzy score ideally frames Kobe's dynamic, silky smooth presence. Kobe at the height of his prowess should always be scored with cool jazzy riffs or with one of those classic jams from Erik B. & Rakim. Maybe "Don't Sweat the Technique."
Oh, by the way, the Lakers ended up blowing out the Spurs.
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