2008 Woodie Awards
Semi-Pro, Ferrell brings nothing new to the court for viewers
By: Aaron Helfferich
Issue date: 3/14/08 Section: Film Reviews
It's called Semi-Pro. It's the newest comedy from Will Ferrell, but it's also Talladega Nights, Anchorman and Blades of Glory all rolled into one.
This rude comedy derives all its humor in Ferrell's signature satirical nature. This time around, the problem isn't just about how many throwaway one liners there are; it's about how many movies it will take before all this repetitive Will Ferrell nonsense falls completely flat.
With Semi-Pro's unapologetic similarities, it would seem that the destruction would have already happened. Is the rest of the world finally going to catch on?
Now taking on the sport of basketball, Will Ferrell challenges the story of the American Basketball Association.
Set in 1976, the year of the ABA's collapse, the promoter, owner, star and coach of the Flint Michigan Tropics, Jackie Moon, is faced with the looming termination of his less-than-successful franchise. Even with the title of the worst team in the league, Moon is hopelessly motivated to rank in the top four teams of the league in order to be absorbed by the NBA.
So, in order to inspire his already dysfunctional team, Moon trades the team's only washing machine for an aging NBA benchwarmer (Woody Harrelson).
On paper, the idea of Semi-Pro may sound passable, but by relying on Will Ferrell's comedic staple, the filmmakers haphazardly lost their power. Will Ferrell has a charming talent that has the possibilities to create a winner with audiences. It is only in the great Will Ferrell films where the filmmakers place a lifelike world around the famous Ferrell persona. Therefore, the characters are able to play off awkward and charming moments from Ferrell's sporadic source of humor.
Not an ounce of innovation can derive from his more prevalent rude comedies, since the rest of the cast is just as idiotic as he is. It is for these reasons that Ferrell's outings in Elf and Stranger Than Fiction rest as two of his best.
With Kicking and Screaming, Talladega Nights, Blades of Glory and now Semi-Pro, it has become redundant routine for Will Ferrell to deliver satirical versions of sports films. With these tendencies it is impossible for Ferrell to hit a significant stroke of memorable humor. Having only one basic talent in his repertoire, Will Ferrell's moronic character persona has become increasingly dull and mostly throwaway in these similar routine settings. Witnessed through every wasted moment of resemblance, Semi-Pro is only semi-entertaining and hardly funny.
This rude comedy derives all its humor in Ferrell's signature satirical nature. This time around, the problem isn't just about how many throwaway one liners there are; it's about how many movies it will take before all this repetitive Will Ferrell nonsense falls completely flat.
With Semi-Pro's unapologetic similarities, it would seem that the destruction would have already happened. Is the rest of the world finally going to catch on?
Now taking on the sport of basketball, Will Ferrell challenges the story of the American Basketball Association.
Set in 1976, the year of the ABA's collapse, the promoter, owner, star and coach of the Flint Michigan Tropics, Jackie Moon, is faced with the looming termination of his less-than-successful franchise. Even with the title of the worst team in the league, Moon is hopelessly motivated to rank in the top four teams of the league in order to be absorbed by the NBA.
So, in order to inspire his already dysfunctional team, Moon trades the team's only washing machine for an aging NBA benchwarmer (Woody Harrelson).
On paper, the idea of Semi-Pro may sound passable, but by relying on Will Ferrell's comedic staple, the filmmakers haphazardly lost their power. Will Ferrell has a charming talent that has the possibilities to create a winner with audiences. It is only in the great Will Ferrell films where the filmmakers place a lifelike world around the famous Ferrell persona. Therefore, the characters are able to play off awkward and charming moments from Ferrell's sporadic source of humor.
Not an ounce of innovation can derive from his more prevalent rude comedies, since the rest of the cast is just as idiotic as he is. It is for these reasons that Ferrell's outings in Elf and Stranger Than Fiction rest as two of his best.
With Kicking and Screaming, Talladega Nights, Blades of Glory and now Semi-Pro, it has become redundant routine for Will Ferrell to deliver satirical versions of sports films. With these tendencies it is impossible for Ferrell to hit a significant stroke of memorable humor. Having only one basic talent in his repertoire, Will Ferrell's moronic character persona has become increasingly dull and mostly throwaway in these similar routine settings. Witnessed through every wasted moment of resemblance, Semi-Pro is only semi-entertaining and hardly funny.
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