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Craig Younkin
Movie Review
Semi Pro
By Craig Younkin Published March 2, 2008
US Release: February 29, 2008
Directed by: Kent Alterman
Starring: André Benjamin , Will Ferrell , Woody Harrelson , Andy Richter
R language and some sexual content
Running Time: 91 minutes
Domestic Box Office: $33,472,850
Directed by: Kent Alterman
Starring: André Benjamin , Will Ferrell , Woody Harrelson , Andy Richter
R language and some sexual content
Running Time: 91 minutes
Domestic Box Office: $33,472,850
B+
There is a lot of funny stuff here. And the R rating allows for some really funny crude humor and dialogue.
So Semi-Pro is Will Ferrell’s fourth sports comedy. So what! Tommy Lee Jones kept playing trackers for years after he won the Oscar for “The Fugitive." And have you seen Napoleon Dynamite switching up his shtick? A lot of the success in the movie business is based on repetition. Just ask Adam Sandler. Will Ferrell, with his tall doughy frame, has cornered the market on making funny sports movies and dare I say, but I think Semi-Pro may just be the funniest of his quartet.
He plays Jackie Moon, the owner, coach, and all-star player of the A.B.A Flint Michigan Tropics. He managed to buy the team by releasing a disco album called “Love Me Sexy.” (C’mon, it’s funny already) The tropics are currently in last place and it looks like this will be the last year that he and his players, including the flashy Coffee Black (Andre Benjamin), will have to play, as the league is planning on disbanding and joining the N.B.A. To have any shot of moving the Tropics to the NBA, Jackie is told that he must not only improve the team, but also the attendance to Tropic home games as well. He brings aboard Monix (Woody Harrelson), a former Boston Celtic who spent much of their championship run sitting on the bench. Playing with the Tropics is his chance to redeem himself, and also to get back with his ex (Maura Tierney), whose husband (Rob Corddry) is a Monix admirer to the point of wanting to watch his wife boink him.
There is a lot of funny stuff here. The promotions Jackie comes up with to push up attendance, including fighting a bear and a half court shot, had me laughing in tears and the R rating allows for some really funny crude humor and dialogue. I particularly liked the scene where the guys sit around the poker table playing with the gun. The cast, including Will Arnett, Andrew Daly, Andy Richter, and Jackie Earle Haley, is game and all and get their chance to get their laughs but it’s Ferrell, with his wild off the cuff expressions and physical mannerisms, who owns this movie. Whether he’s making fun of people in the sports world or playing elves or Frank the Tank, the man just seems to find roles that are tailor-made for him and I hope that his next film, this summer’s “Step Brothers," is no exception. Like some of his other films, Semi-Pro doesn’t have the best story and it’s dumb as all hell, but it’s funny damnit, and it’s a good way to spend two hours of your weekend.
He plays Jackie Moon, the owner, coach, and all-star player of the A.B.A Flint Michigan Tropics. He managed to buy the team by releasing a disco album called “Love Me Sexy.” (C’mon, it’s funny already) The tropics are currently in last place and it looks like this will be the last year that he and his players, including the flashy Coffee Black (Andre Benjamin), will have to play, as the league is planning on disbanding and joining the N.B.A. To have any shot of moving the Tropics to the NBA, Jackie is told that he must not only improve the team, but also the attendance to Tropic home games as well. He brings aboard Monix (Woody Harrelson), a former Boston Celtic who spent much of their championship run sitting on the bench. Playing with the Tropics is his chance to redeem himself, and also to get back with his ex (Maura Tierney), whose husband (Rob Corddry) is a Monix admirer to the point of wanting to watch his wife boink him.
There is a lot of funny stuff here. The promotions Jackie comes up with to push up attendance, including fighting a bear and a half court shot, had me laughing in tears and the R rating allows for some really funny crude humor and dialogue. I particularly liked the scene where the guys sit around the poker table playing with the gun. The cast, including Will Arnett, Andrew Daly, Andy Richter, and Jackie Earle Haley, is game and all and get their chance to get their laughs but it’s Ferrell, with his wild off the cuff expressions and physical mannerisms, who owns this movie. Whether he’s making fun of people in the sports world or playing elves or Frank the Tank, the man just seems to find roles that are tailor-made for him and I hope that his next film, this summer’s “Step Brothers," is no exception. Like some of his other films, Semi-Pro doesn’t have the best story and it’s dumb as all hell, but it’s funny damnit, and it’s a good way to spend two hours of your weekend.
Craig's Grade: B+
Craig's Overall Grading: 340 graded movies
| A | 10.9% | |
| B | 41.8% | |
| C | 31.8% | |
| D | 15.3% | |
| F | 0.3% |
