Play it safe with 'Semi Pro'
By Bruce R. Miller, Journal staff writer | Posted: Sunday, June 01, 2008
It's a week for comedy.
Classics? Try "City Slickers."
Parody? "Meet the Spartans."
Cartoon? "Kenny the Shark."
Stand-up? "Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show."
But if you want one that'll really make you chuckle, look at "Semi-Pro."
After working his way through films about soccer, ice skating and racing, Will Ferrell takes on basketball and doesn't foul out.
The comedy doesn't offer any new, flashy moves. It plays it safe with familiar routines, recognizable music. Nonetheless, it is funny.
Ferrell plays Jackie Moon the owner/ player/coach of the Flint, Mich., Tropics. The American Basketball Association team is about as rag-tag as they get. During halftime, the players don costumes and provide entertainment. In order to draw crowds, Moon agrees to wrestle a killer bear. The stuff is giddy and fun but it doesn't always add up to a satisfying whole.
The film, in fact, gets much of its smileage from spoofs of '70s clothes, conventions and quirks. The year is 1976 and the Tropics could be toast when the league merges with the National Basketball Association. Four teams will make the cut. But in order to nudge the San Antonio Spurs, Moon's men have to draw larger crowds and win more games.
Immediately, the players see that Jackie isn't up to the coaching job. They draft Woody Harrelson who actually had a stint in the NBA. He gets them to run plays until they vomit and n get this n win games. Moon, meanwhile, dreams up promotions that fill the stands. They're goofy, typical stuff, but Ferrell doesn't protect an ounce of his pride. He wears those skimpy shorts, jumps into awkward situations and uses word combinations that would make most moms reach for the soap.
Director Kent Alterman takes full advantage of his film's R rating. He tosses in pretty randy situations and lets Jackie cruise well past Austin Powers in terms of taste.
The film, as a result, seems like a bunch of late-night skits glued together for feature-length possibilities. The story n will they make it into the NBA? n hardly merits consideration.
Still, there are moments that are giggle-licious. Will Arnett and Andrew Daly are slam dunks as broadcasters covering the game. Arnett is world-weary and profane, Daly is practically a second cousin to Jim McKay. The two get some of the film's best lines and have a lot of fun hosting a post-game Tropics show.
When the buzzer appears to be sounding, "Semi-Pro" picks up speed and races to its inevitable end. Maura Tierney and Andre Benjamin fill the court (Benjamin plays a worthy player who calls himself Coffeeblack) but it's Ferrell who gets the free throws. He combines elements of Joe Namath with flashes of John McEnroe. He's loud and boisterous, cocky and dumb. When he's riffing in a disco bar, you'll swear you've seen this stuff before.
You have n Ferrell doesn't stray far from home turf n but it's always a joy to watch.
Also: 'Wild West Show'
There's more title than substance to "Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days & 30 Nights n Hollywood to the Heartland."
Still, that doesn't mean the documentary lacks moments.
Taking four fledgling comics on a month-long tour, Vaughn lifts the veil on their personal lives and achieves some unexpected drama.
Ahmed Ahmed talks about the problems of life as an Arab-American after Sept. 11; John Caparulo elaborates on the career choices he faced; Sebastian Maniscalco wonders about his job as a waiter; and, most touching of all, Brad Ernst remembers his late brother, the reason he got into comedy.
While they bounce from town to town in a tour bus, Vaughn (who emcees the show) acts like the comics' ultimate vacation guide. He points out why the stops are significant and gets particularly excited when they land in South Bend, Ind., home to Notre Dame and "Rudy," one of his first films. He's moved, too, when Buck Owens welcomes him to Bakersfield, and shows how generous he can be when the group meets folks displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
Curiously, there's not a lot of standup in the film. Each comic gets a few bits, but director Ari Sandel doesn't rely on routines to sell it. While the cities the gang visits are big, the venues aren't. The tour, as a result, looks more ramshackle than Vaughn would like. Why he decided to do it (and why everyone thinks 30 days is such a drain) isn't explained.
Classics? Try "City Slickers."
Parody? "Meet the Spartans."
Cartoon? "Kenny the Shark."
Stand-up? "Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show."
But if you want one that'll really make you chuckle, look at "Semi-Pro."
After working his way through films about soccer, ice skating and racing, Will Ferrell takes on basketball and doesn't foul out.
The comedy doesn't offer any new, flashy moves. It plays it safe with familiar routines, recognizable music. Nonetheless, it is funny.
Ferrell plays Jackie Moon the owner/ player/coach of the Flint, Mich., Tropics. The American Basketball Association team is about as rag-tag as they get. During halftime, the players don costumes and provide entertainment. In order to draw crowds, Moon agrees to wrestle a killer bear. The stuff is giddy and fun but it doesn't always add up to a satisfying whole.
The film, in fact, gets much of its smileage from spoofs of '70s clothes, conventions and quirks. The year is 1976 and the Tropics could be toast when the league merges with the National Basketball Association. Four teams will make the cut. But in order to nudge the San Antonio Spurs, Moon's men have to draw larger crowds and win more games.
Immediately, the players see that Jackie isn't up to the coaching job. They draft Woody Harrelson who actually had a stint in the NBA. He gets them to run plays until they vomit and n get this n win games. Moon, meanwhile, dreams up promotions that fill the stands. They're goofy, typical stuff, but Ferrell doesn't protect an ounce of his pride. He wears those skimpy shorts, jumps into awkward situations and uses word combinations that would make most moms reach for the soap.
Director Kent Alterman takes full advantage of his film's R rating. He tosses in pretty randy situations and lets Jackie cruise well past Austin Powers in terms of taste.
The film, as a result, seems like a bunch of late-night skits glued together for feature-length possibilities. The story n will they make it into the NBA? n hardly merits consideration.
Still, there are moments that are giggle-licious. Will Arnett and Andrew Daly are slam dunks as broadcasters covering the game. Arnett is world-weary and profane, Daly is practically a second cousin to Jim McKay. The two get some of the film's best lines and have a lot of fun hosting a post-game Tropics show.
When the buzzer appears to be sounding, "Semi-Pro" picks up speed and races to its inevitable end. Maura Tierney and Andre Benjamin fill the court (Benjamin plays a worthy player who calls himself Coffeeblack) but it's Ferrell who gets the free throws. He combines elements of Joe Namath with flashes of John McEnroe. He's loud and boisterous, cocky and dumb. When he's riffing in a disco bar, you'll swear you've seen this stuff before.
You have n Ferrell doesn't stray far from home turf n but it's always a joy to watch.
Also: 'Wild West Show'
There's more title than substance to "Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days & 30 Nights n Hollywood to the Heartland."
Still, that doesn't mean the documentary lacks moments.
Taking four fledgling comics on a month-long tour, Vaughn lifts the veil on their personal lives and achieves some unexpected drama.
Ahmed Ahmed talks about the problems of life as an Arab-American after Sept. 11; John Caparulo elaborates on the career choices he faced; Sebastian Maniscalco wonders about his job as a waiter; and, most touching of all, Brad Ernst remembers his late brother, the reason he got into comedy.
While they bounce from town to town in a tour bus, Vaughn (who emcees the show) acts like the comics' ultimate vacation guide. He points out why the stops are significant and gets particularly excited when they land in South Bend, Ind., home to Notre Dame and "Rudy," one of his first films. He's moved, too, when Buck Owens welcomes him to Bakersfield, and shows how generous he can be when the group meets folks displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
Curiously, there's not a lot of standup in the film. Each comic gets a few bits, but director Ari Sandel doesn't rely on routines to sell it. While the cities the gang visits are big, the venues aren't. The tour, as a result, looks more ramshackle than Vaughn would like. Why he decided to do it (and why everyone thinks 30 days is such a drain) isn't explained.
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