MVP 2: Most Vertical Primate

MVP 2 opens with the lovable Jack, Louie being invited to play for the Seattle Simians hockey team, filling him with excitement and a sense of belonging. Yet, trouble quickly follows when the Los Angeles Carjackers set him up, making it look like he bit the finger of one of the players. The taint of the accusation forces Jack to bolt, and the rest of the Simians scramble to find him.

On the run, he crosses paths with Ben, Marnie Alton, a runaway orphan skater who camps out in a shacktened by an old pool. Over time, the two forge a deep and steady friendship, bound by their shared love of skating and a dream of something better. They become each other’s support system, learning to trust and rely on someone else in a world that has kept them apart.

Their budding sanctuary is disrupted when a police officer tracks down where they’ve been staying. This discovery forces them to leave the pool behind, prompting a tense scramble to find a new place to call home. As they migrate from place to place, Ben sustains a setback: he breaks his board just as he plans to enter a skating competition that could secure him sponsorship. The moment tests his resolve, but Jack refuses to abandon his friend and insists they press on.

Desperate for a solution, Jack heads to Oliver Plant’s dumpster full of old skateboard gear, hoping to salvage something that can keep Ben’s dream alive. There, Oliver Plant, Richard Karn steps in with unexpected help: he lends Ben a board and, in a quiet act of kindness, becomes part of their story. They spend a night at Oliver’s place, with Oliver unaware of the pool incident that started their flight. When night falls, Ben grows wary that Oliver might somehow know more than he should about their runaway life, and Jack stays by his side, begging for shelter because there’s nowhere else to go.

Earlier in the tale, Oliver receives a visit from someone who deals with kids like Ben, prompting Oliver to call a contact and confirm that he has found Ben. The next day, the trio heads to the big competition. Ben, initially hesitant, discovers a remarkable natural talent for skateboarding, and Jack steps in to ride with him so he can take the leap. Ben learns to trust in himself, aided by Jack’s presence and encouragement, and the duo delivers a performance that wows the crowd.

The result is a victory that brings sponsorship from Bob Burnquist. The story also marks a turning point in Ben’s life as he is taken in by Oliver Plant (through Richard Karn in the film), who adopts him and provides a new family and future. The triumph also parallels a separate arc: Louie, Jack’s younger brother, arrives in Seattle pretending to be Jack and stumbles through hockey with comic ineptitude. When Jack arrives and reveals the truth, he steps in to guide Louie, and the brothers’ bond grows stronger as Jack helps Louie learn the ropes of skating.

With the season’s end in sight, the Simians clinch the ZHL Cup, and the brothers decide to return home to their family. Before they go, Ben passes a skateboard to Louie, symbolically passing on the torch and inviting Jack to mentor his kid brother. The film closes on a hopeful note, as Louie takes to a ramp back at their home, learning to ride with the same patient confidence that carried Jack and Ben through their toughest moments.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 16:39