Underdog on skates

And you thought roller disco was ushered into well-deserved obscurity by the silly, glam flash of 1979's "Roller Boogie," an air- headed movie that may have finally derailed Linda Blair's wobbly acting career.

But stop the mirror ball, folks, because Roll Bounce is bounding into the house, with a hugely appealing cast headed by hip- hopper turned actor Bow Wow (don't call him Li'l anymore) and a cheerful story of underdog roller skaters that's filled with garish '70s gags and loads of heart.

It's a throwback comedy steeped in formula and kitschy nostalgia but energized by smart direction and sprightly acting, and it ends up being far more infectious, engaging and entertaining than you'd ever expect it to be.

Directed with a smooth hand by Malcolm D. Lee (The Best Man, Undercover Brother), Roll Bounce is set at the tail end of the plastic-fantastic '70s and concerns a ragtag posse of kids from a working-class Southside Chicago neighborhood who are left on the curb when their shabby, old-school Palisades Gardens skating rink closes its doors.

The crew's leader, Xavier, or X as he's called (played with surprising assurance by Bow Wow), resists when his buddies drag him up to the wealthy North side to the glitzy Sweetwater Rolling Rink, a snooty establishment complete with smooth hardwoods, decks of video games, neon lights and Centipede machines.