ATL tells the story of a group of friends teetering on the brink of having to grow up all at once while trying to enjoy the rest of their youth at the same time. Though not without a substantial flaw or two, this urban dramedy is an involving coming-of-age tale with more substance than you might think upon first glance.

At the center of ATL's focus is young Rashad Swann (Tip "T.I." Harris), a high school senior in inner-city Atlanta who's  mere months away from moving onto the next phase of his life. While those around him start chosing their paths, pursuing stable jobs and chances at an Ivy League education, Rashad is comfortable living in the moment, hanging out with his friends, romancing a pretty classmate (Lauren London), and spending Sunday nights at the Cascade roller rink downtown.

With graduation on the horizon, Rashad is faced with uncertainty about his future, stuck between staying with his uncle's janitor business or heading down a road where anything goes. Unfortunately, Rashad's little brother Anton (Evan Ross) is headed for trouble himself. Anton views falling in with a dangerous dealer (Antwan Andre Patton) as his only means of making money. Because Rashad has to save his brother as well as deal with a secret his new girlfriend is carrying and prepare for an upcoming skate competiton at Casade, he soon finds himself overloaded with dilemmas that force him to act like an adult sooner than expected.

ATL is one of those films with too many imperfections to recommend highly, yet there's enough redeeming elements to warrant at least one watch on a rainy afternoon. It's a movie that's a little rough around the edges, presumably due to how many newcomers are onboard here (several cast members are making their debuts, not to mention this being the first feature helmed by music video director Chris Robinson). However, there's enough about the film to separate it from others with similar stories. ATL comes across as a modernized, more dramatically-conscious version of last fall's Roll Bounce, retaining the skating rink aspect and the close-knit friends at the center of the plot. A few humorous situations are sprinkled throughout, which -- unfortunately -- cause the film to take on a jerky, inconsistent tone. Robinson ends up jostling the viewer around as he takes them from subplot to subplot, never delving into one of them long enough to produce a lasting effect but quickly enough for us to catch a whiff of their more predictable aspects.

As a narrative, ATL features a good main story involving Rashad and Anton, but it winds up becoming too distracting by packing in those half-baked subplots, especially the  "Skate Wars" storyline that goes absolutely nowhere. When the movie focuses on its two leads, it becomes quite compelling by keeping these characters grounded in reality.  The acting as a whole is a bit spotty (particularly from London, who's cute as can be but whose performance never lives up to her character's dramatic weight). The finest performances belong to Harris and Ross, each giving convincing and sympathetic turns as brothers who both want to get out of their town but have different ideas concerning how to accomplish this.

Although the film's supporting characters seem sketchy, Robinson never falters with those who matter most to the plot, and this effectiveness extends to a couple of side players, inspiring solid turns from Patton (a.k.a. Big Boi of the group Outkast) and Mykelti Williamson as Rashad and Anton's immature uncle.

ATL may not be a perfect or even a very original film, but as far as teen-oriented movies go, it contains more depth and observation than one like She's the Man, and it serves as a decent alternative for those who think Roll Bounce seems a little too goofy. The parts of ATL that do work make it worth watching. 

MY RATING: ** 1/2 (out of ****)

(Released by Warner Home Video and rated "PG-13" for drug content, language, sexual material and some violence.)