Semi-Pro (DVD)

So, Semi Pro, Will Ferrell's latest, the straight faced comic again dropped into a sporting context to hope we chortle away. Some people do indeed giggle-me-whilst others just don't get the Ferrell thing at all, and if they rented this rare misfire I can understand why. The big man is just not on form here, a tubby minor league 70s basketball star/owner character not really working for him on screen. It's not a bad film and there are some belly laughs but Ferrell has to be on the ball to get away with what he does and he doesn't 'slam-dunk' this time, one too many missed 'threepointers' off the backboard gags taking it into overtime to decide if its really funny or not. ...  Read the complete review

I'm a big fan of Will Ferrell, I first saw him in the hilarious Christmas comedy Elf, and then in the fantastic sports film Blades of Glory. So when my fiance and I saw on IMDB.com that he had another sports film which this time revolved around basketball was coming out, we knew we had to hire it out on DVD as soon as it came out. I managed to get it on my online rental service and we sat down to watch it this weekend, looking forward to lots of laughs and a great film. Jackie Moon is the owner/coach/promoter of Michigan basketball team The Tropics. However, the Tropics don't seem to be that good, and when Jackie finds out that only 4 local teams are going to ...  Read the complete review

There is an advert currently doing the rounds that proposes the idea that dirt is good. In it we are shown a small child playing in mud only for us to realise that it does not matter as his clothes can easily be cleaned (just don't mention the e coli in the water or the bacteria in the dog poo). Not all things dirty are as innocent though. To the older mind dirty can mean naughty. One area of entertainment that has seen an increase it this sort of dirt is the comedy. When the likes of Jim Carrey and Eddie Murphy dominated the comedy film scene in the 90s their films were risqué at best. Now the new kings of comedy, Judd Apatow et al, have gone ruder and cruder for ...  Read the complete review

Semi-Pro was the last Will Ferrell film I watched and whilst it was neither as good as Step Brothers nor Old School, I thought it wasn't too bad. The story is like so many other films about an underdog sports team - in this case a basketball who will be liquidated if they do not reach the 4th place in the basketball league. The board of the association seem rather dodgy and repeatedly move the goalposts, or in this case the ring/hoop/net - whatever you call it in basketball! Club owner and player Jackie Moon has promised to keep the team alive and with the acquisition of a hardened pro called Monix (Woody Harrelson), the team set about moving up the league. ...  Read the complete review

Will Ferrell seems out to make a comedy movie of about just every sport imaginable, why he hasn't tackled Wrestling and 'Bring on the Wall' yes is anyone's guess, but give him time. He's also equally obsessed with the 70's. Whether this is because the films seem to fit into this era, or his comic style is more suited to the 'Caddyshack' and 'Animal House' generation. Its anyones guess. Will Ferrell plays Jackie Moon, owner and coach of local American Basketball league team in Flint, Michigan. Moon is a 70's playboy whose antics on and off of the court are legendary. When it turns out that the NBA won't be amalgamating their team it looks like 'the Tropics' ...  Read the complete review