ESPN’s award-winning “30 for 30″ seres of documentaries has been known to expertly tell some of the greatest stories from the world of sports. It has also become known to expertly tell some of the greatest stories from the peripheries of the world of sports. And their latest entry certainly fits that bill.
Dude Perfect: A Very Long Shot traces the meteoric rise of a group of friends from College Station, Texas, whose backyard antics evolved into a global sports-comedy phenomenon. Beginning with their humble origins filming trick shots for YouTube, the documentary delves into the journeys of Tyler Toney, Coby Cotton, Cory Cotton, Garrett Hilbert, and Cody Jones as their group, Dude Perfect, became a cultural phenomenon with a massive media following, a live tour, and ambitious dreams of an amusement park.
Given that this 30 for 30 has a very different story to tell from its typical counterpart, it unfortunately falls for a trope that has been popping up a lot these days. It feels as though I have heard the phrase “back then, YouTube wasn’t what it is today” about 100 times in various documentaries. Telling the story of any viral sensation tends to highlight that point and it’s starting to feel a little stale. Luckily, this doc doesn’t linger too long on that point and instead jumps more into the story of the Dude Perfect guys themselves.
While these five guys have been in the spotlight in a number of different ways and people feel as though they have gotten to know them over the years, this documentary provides an unprecedented look into their personal lives. That is especially true for the days in which their now-wildly-successful company was in its very early stages and they had to wrestle with the level of commitment they were willing to give to it. These guys have a very interesting story to tell and it’s a credit to ESPN and the filmmakers for being willing to tell it.
And while this new entry into the 30 for 30 library is certainly not your typical sports story, it is a very entertaining one. Dude Perfect has amassed billions of views with their antics and seemingly impossible trick shots, and this doc gives fans a look at how they made many of those videos. It also provides a fair amount of drama by taking the audience behind the scenes as the guys attempt to break a world record for the highest basketball shot.
The story of how these five guys met, became friends and formed this incredibly successful company is very well told through interviews, not just with the guys themselves but with a variety of other subjects as well. Their families also get chance to provide some context on what it’s like to live with someone who essentially attempts trick shots for a living. There are even interviews with people around the sports world to provide context and insight. Dallas Mavericks owner and Shark Tank star Mark Cuban is perhaps the most notable.
Overall, Dude Perfect: A Very Long Shot is far from the inspirational sports story you may be hoping to get from 30 for 30. Instead, it’s an entertaining and fascinating look at how five friends were able to create an internet phenomenon that became an incredibly successful company, all while just having fun. If you’re a fan of Dude Perfect, this is a must watch. And if you’re not, it’s still a fun watch and you probably will be a fan by the end.
30 for 30’s Dude Perfect: A Very Long Shot is now streaming on ESPN+.