Semi-Pro

Sorry it's been a while since I've updated anything, but don't worry, I've got a slew of movies lined up. The first one is Semi-Pro, Will Ferrell's latest sports movie (following Talladega Nights and Blades of Glory). Semi-Pro falls squarely in the middle, helped mostly by Woody Harrelson and Andre Benjamin. I still love Will Ferrell, even though he's only batting about fifty percent. Normally he either swings and misses, or hits a home run. With Semi-Pro, he managed to get a single.

Farrell plays Jackie Moon, the owner/coach/power forward of the Flint Tropics- the worst team in the American Basketball League. The team is in trouble when the ABA and the NBA announce that they are merging, and only taking a few ABA teams. Needless to say, the Tropics is not one of them. In a hilarious scene with traditional Will Ferrell style, Moon manages to convince the league chair (played by David Koerchner in possibly his only normal role ever) that they should take the top teams at the end of the year. This gives the Tropics at least an outside chance of making it.

Unfortunately, Moon is more hung up on promoting the team than making them good. This would be understandable since he is also the owner, but his publicity stunts are both terrible and hilarious. Free corn dogs if the Tropics win (which results in him trying to throw the game because..well...they can't afford the corn dogs). The funniest was Moon wrestling a bear that proceeded to get loose in the basketball arena. This was the best scene in the movie and convinced me to not write off Farrell.

To handle the team, Moon brings in Monix (Harrelson). He has an unpleasant history with the team, but agrees to whip them into shape. This includes him working them until they throw-up (including Moon for the first time in his life in a rather funny sequence). Andre Benjamin (Andre 3000 formerly of Outkast) plays Clarence 'coffee' Black, the star of the team. Add Maura Tierney, Andy Richter, Will Arnett, Andrew Daly and Rob Corddry, you get the recipe for a pretty good B comedy.

Unfortunately it doesn't reach its potential. The frequent basketball scenes don't match up to their off court antics. The slight variations in each game don't prevent those scenes from getting tedious (at least for me, not being a sports fan). Some people may enjoy this, and there were certain scenes that did make me laugh. But I would really like to see Farrell try another semi-dramatic role, instead of more of these sports comedies.

2/5