LeBron James is not a train wreck in 'Trainwreck,' critics say

LeBron James can act - and it's not just Cleveland Cavaliers fans who are saying that. So are movie critics - real ones.

James, of course, is coming to a big screen near you alongside comedians Amy Schumer and Bill Hader in Judd Apatow's Trainwreck. The film centers on the awkwardly endearing love story between Schumer's and Hader's characters, with James playing Hader's famous, but quirky, best friend.

And no, James isn't a cameo player, as many might think. He's in the film's starting lineup, and, unlike the NBA Finals, he's winning. (Although, actually, he still succeeded in that, too, considering he won the ESPY this week for "best championship performance.")

James plays a version of himself, which the Atlantic's Christopher Orr calls "the cleverest counter-self-portrait since Michael Cera's coke-addled sex fiend in This Is the End."

The film version of James pinches pennies and loves Downton Abbey, which is a good setup considering James is incredibly wealthy and his real-life favorite TV show is Martin.

The Washington Post's Ann Hornaday complimented James' "expert, deadpan timing" in his scenes, of which there are quite a few.

As did The Inquirer's Steven Rea. "With deadpan aplomb, James slyly mocks his own superstar image, bringing lighthearted conviction to the role of Aaron's friend, and getting off some of the movie's funniest lines while he's at it."

Indeed, the New York Times' Manohla Dargis says James delivers a "surprisingly limber comic presence," a feat that seemingly surprised her as she called the NBA star's inclusion in the cast "a heat-seeking gimmick."

But gimmick it is not, says the Chicago Sun-Times' Richard Roeper. "James holds his own in scenes with Hader and Schumer, and that's pretty darn impressive."

The word impressive also showed up in the Los Angeles Times' Rebecca Keegan review. She said, "His performance reflects impressive off-court timing and a sense of humor about his own image."

"James is charming in the part," the Hollywood Reporter's John DeFore writes. He exhibits "deadpan perfection," Variety's Scott Foundas says.

Even the Wall Street Journal's Joe Morgenstern, who was probably the hardest on James, was wooed by the end of the film.

"Mr. James goes from playing a clumsy version of the cheapskate defined by Jack Benny in the golden age of radio to an imposing, and endearing, version of himself. In one terrific sequence he and Aaron shoot hoops. In another he delivers, with impeccable comic timing, a dissertation on marriage that centers on Kanye West."