THE POPCORN REEL FILM REVIEW/"Semi-Pro"
Shining Stars, Wanting To Take You To A Higher Court
By
Omar P.L. Moore/The Popcorn Reel
February 29, 2008
It's good . . . but we aren't: Number one in your
hearts but still in the ABA yearning for the big-time NBA basketball life, Will
Ferrell (center) is player, coach, owner and pre-game announcer Jackie Moon,
flanked by celebrating teammates of the Flint Michigan Tropics, in Kent
Alterman's comedy "Semi-Pro". (Photo: Frank Masi/New Line Cinema)
A quick question: have you ever been punched in the jujunem? Former
National Baskeball Association player Ed Monix (Woody Harrelson) asks Jackie
Moon (Will Ferrell) this same question during a moment on the practice court in
"Semi-Pro", Kent Alterman's cheeky and amusing basketball comedy about the Flint
Michigan Tropics, a fictional 1976 American Basketball Association team looking
to be expanded into the NBA. The answer from Moon comes back negative, and
Mr. Moon's long-standing record of never vomiting at any point in his
life is severely put to the test, in one of several moments of fun and
near-disgust in the new film, which opened today. Sometimes "Semi-Pro"
makes you want to cringe, and at other times it makes you want to laugh out loud
-- but at all times it is entertaining and lively.
Jackie Moon is the multi-hyphenate owner of the endangered ABA franchise Tropics
(whose crowds on a good night barely break into the 1,000 range.) He also
announces the starting line-ups, plays and coaches the Tropics -- not the
easiest thing to do, but for Moon as inhabited by the irrepressible Mr. Ferrell,
it is a breeze. To bring the crowds in and book a ticket to NBA promised
land, Moon will do anything -- including wrestle a grizzly bear -- to elevate
his woeful Tropics, who are given a shot in the arm by newcomer Monix, a
championship winner with the Boston Celtics.
"Semi-Pro" is routine slapstick, but as in "Talladega Nights", its main
character has his moments in the sun yet doesn't dominate the film in a way that
screams overkill. Mr. Ferrell has more than enough goofball moments and
brainless fun times as Mr. Moon, but he gets out of his own way. (Jim
Carrey hasn't been able to do that in his comedic films, and perhaps that
explains why his comedic star may have fallen over the last few years.)
There's about ten or fifteen minutes where he is not onscreen. Mr. Ferrell
makes himself fresh, even if he's done these types of sports films before.
"Blades Of Glory" had many in stitches a year ago, and before that "Talladega"
relied on Mr. Ferrell and company to push it over the edge. This summer
Mr. Ferrell reunites with "Talladega"'s John C. Reilly in "Stepbrothers", a
comedy with the tandem in the title roles.
There is a glimpse of good acting in New Line Cinema's "Semi-Pro", in a moment featuring Mr.
Harrelson and Andre Benjamin (who plays a teammate known as Clarence "Coffee
Black" Withers.) Mr. Harrelson's Monix character tells Mr. Benjamin's
character the cold hard truth about playing the competitive sport of NBA
basketball. The silence of this truth is left ringing in the ears of Mr.
Withers, and the way Mr. Benjamin mines his character's reaction is actually a
moment of brilliance. Almost ten seconds of reverberation linger as Mr.
Alterman's camera fixes on Mr. Benjamin in close-up. In a hi-jinks comedy,
this small episode is magical.
Subsidiary characters dot the landscape here, and although the stereotypical
overweight athlete isn't on display in "Semi-Pro", you know that you have seen
and laughed at sports comedies like this in your sleep -- but Mr. Alterman's
film is one that should not be so easily dismissed. Its '70's appeal is
much of its charm, as is its comedy-meister, Mr. Ferrell.
With: Maura Tierney, Will Arnett, Rob Corddry, David Koechner, Andy Richter,
DeRay Davis, Josh Braaten, Jay Phillips and Jackie Earle Haley.
"Semi-Pro" is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America for
language and some sexual content. The film's duration is one hour and 30
minutes.
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