What can I say about Semi-Pro? It's not a bad movie - at all.
It's actually quite funny as all of Will Ferrell's movies have been. Don't get me wrong, it's no Talladega Nights or Old
School, but it's good - along the lines of Blades of Glory.
The plot is totally predictable, but who really goes to see a Will Ferrell movie for the plot. The movie is set in the mid seventies and revolves around Ferrell's character, a one-hit wonder named Jackie Moon who used the profits from his hit single to buy an ABA basketball team in his hometown of Flint, Michigan. The ABA is being absorbed by the NBA and Moon gets the idea that the leagues 4 best teams should be the ones to join - this is somewhat of a bad idea given that Moon's team, the Tropics, have the worst record in the league. The remainder of the movie sees that Tropics trying to win out to be one of the top 4 teams all the while trying to boost attendance via some pretty wacky schemes.
So, to first state the obvious: Will Ferrell always plays the same character. He's totally lovable and goofy and really funny, but he doesn't have any range whatsoever. Even Stranger Than Fiction which was his somewhat dramatic departure was just a variation of himself. That's not to say Hollywood doesn't need him. He has something that really no one else in the industry has right now, but he's totally wearing his welcome thin at this point. He kinda needs to go away for a while and then come back once people aren't so used to his schtick.
The rest of the cast is pretty good. Andre Benjamin plays the star of the team athletically speaking. He's the typical cocky athlete with a heart of gold. His is one of the most likable characters by the end of the film. Woody Harrelson is the washed-up basketball star who's brought onto the team to lend some much needed experience and ends up becoming the team's emotional center. One thing that is a real shame though is the fact that some of the supporting talent was wasted. Andy Richter who might be one of the funniest men alive was totally squandered - he still hasn't really found a forum to showcase his hilarity since he left Conan O'Brian. Will Arnett's talent was also wasted here - he was genius on Arrested Development but falls flat in this role. Both men were given tiny roles that left no room for their talents to shine through.
What more is there to say about this movie that makes a point of being pointless. It relishes in the fact that it's ultimately going nowhere and recycles gags from every underdog sports movie ever adding Will Ferrell's signature style - for better or worse.
