Sunday

You may not have even noticed the release of Semi-Pro. I'm not sure that I did. The release of a movie in the UK often depends upon how well it's done in America (although, conversely, certain films are promoted here more because producers believe we'll appreciate them better). I'm guessing the film didn't do well either here or there and there are two reasons for this. It stars Will Ferrell as the owner, coach and player of a basketball team in the 1970s. The team faces dissolution when their league proposes a merger with the NBA. In order to avoid being dissolved, his team have to finish in the top 4. As you can tell, this sounds like a derivative mix between Anchorman and Dodgeball, and it is. There's no hiding that. The concept isn't original. And the plot follows the contrived line of every sport movie: success, failure, success (only in the really great films do you not notice this narrative, or not mind it). Nonetheless, I think this is an extremely funny movie. If you like Will Ferrell, and I do, then you'll love this film. The jokes are great, even though some of them aren't built up sufficiently. The characters' back-stories and romances are messy, but then this is a comedy, and it made me laugh. The second reason the film didn't do well, which I'll try to tell you without ruining the ending, is in the team's hunt for 4th place: these guys aren't winners and they never will be. So, as long as you don't expect too much, and love Will Ferrell, this film is a great fun.