Directed by:
Kent AltermanScreenplay:
Scot ArmstrongCinematography:
Shane HurlbutComposer:
Theodore ShapiroCast:
Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, André Benjamin, Maura Tierney, Andy Daly, Will Arnett, Andy Richter, David Koechner, Rob Corddry, Jackie Earle Haley (more)VOD (5)
Plots(1)
In 1976, the maverick ABA is a fast-paced, wild and crazy basketball league that rivals the NBA and makes a name for itself with innovations like the three-point shot and slam dunk contest. Jackie Moon is a one-hit wonder who used the profits from the success of his chart-topping song "Love Me Sexy" to achieve his dream of owning a basketball team. But Moon's franchise, the Flint Michigan Tropics, is the worst team in the league and in danger of folding when the ABA announces its plans to merge with the NBA. If they want to survive, Jackie and the Tropics must now do the seemingly impossible--win. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (4)
Will Ferrell is a force of nature who can get the most out of his characters, but Semi-Pro is merely an ode to his own narcissism, which is annoying right from the get-go. Also, this perfectly dry story about a bunch of losers who made it somewhere suffers from a severe lack of really good catchphrases and memorable scenes, which is its second big problem. The first issue is Woody Harrelson, who pretends to be on the set by mistake... and the Anton Chigurh-style haircut really doesn't add to his look.
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Will Ferrell plays the same character for the umpteenth time, but this time in such a charmingly goofy movie! I was amazed at how much I enjoyed Semi-Pro. Moments like the fight during the commercial break or the revolver scene, Woody Harelson's performance ("If you see a possum, try to kill it. It's not a pet!"), the sensational jibing of two sports commentators, a hippie whose check they won't cash... It was all (except for a minimum amount of awkwardness) very fresh and funny. It was definitely a good move not to write the script so that only Ferrell would make jokes, but to give a generous portion of them to the other characters. Add to that Shapiro's excellent music and lovely period atmosphere. Great.
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There are a few funny lines, but it's not anything groundbreaking, and as for the rest, it's too-silly B-movie that doesn't have a single factor that pulls it further than below-average. I was expecting more fun.
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I don't know what it is, but lately, Will Ferrell's has been annoying me. When he plays the lead role, he doesn't seem to try to adapt much, he doesn't want to change, and he keeps doing the same thing over and over. This sports comedy definitely isn't something that's going to change that perception. Ferrell attracts attention to himself, even though the characters played by Woody Harrelson and André Benjamin are more interesting. That doesn't change the fact that it's a rather mediocre comedy that doesn't attempt to change or overturn the clichés of sports movies but rather relies on them.
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