Semi-Pro

I listed Will Ferrell's new movie Semi-Pro #4 on my list of movies to see this summer. Is it too late to change my list? Semi-Pro was funny…just not the type of funny we expect from Ferrell. The movie stars Ferrell as Jackie Moon, owner/coach/player/promoter of the struggling ABA team The Flint Michigan Tropics. With the league going bankrupt, the owners decided that the top four teams should merge with the NBA. In order to keep his team Moon not only has to win games, but have least 2,000 fans in attendance for every home game. To be honest, I like Ferrel, I like him a lot. I loved Blades Of Glory, and Talladega Nights; this sports movie just wasn't in the same league as the other films. Although I was disappointed, the movie was not without its share of funny moments. Semi-Pro opens with Jackie Moon's mega hit "Love Me Sexy" (I'm still trying to find the ringtone) The song just reminds me of one of those sleazy 1970's one hit wonders with lewd lyrics that are almost as bad as the album covers. Will Arnett is hilarious as Lou Redwood, ex-player/Tropics announcer. He has some pretty funny one-liners in the film that kept me laughing. I'm a huge critic of rappers turned actors. Andre Benjamin does a good job as Clarence 'Coffee' Black, the only Tropic with any real basketball talent. It makes me wonder if he will ever go back to making albums. Matt Walsh is priceless as Father Pat the Ref. His, "maybe your mom's not in heaven", joke still has me laughing. My biggest problem with the movie: Not consistent enough. It reminds me of a girl I dated once who was so hot and cold it drove me crazy. We would have these great dates and I wouldn't hear from her the next day. I was frustrated because I couldn't get a consistent feel for the relationship. That's exactly how this movie felt. You would have funny moments that were followed by dry spells. It was hard to get a consistent laugh. Since I listed it at #4 I wish I could have had a few more laughs.Semi-Pro has a lot of ABA references. If you aren't familiar with the ABA and how things were in the late 70's, a lot of the jokes don't make as much sense. I should thank my dad for all of those old stories about Dr. J. Thanks Dad!Since this movie is rated R they can't show a lot of what makes this movie funny on TV. This movie may have been better as a PG-13. When will people realize that PG-13 is where it's at. I know that the R rating is necessary for some films, but Semi-Pro that could have been just as funny if not funnier as a PG-13. My suggestion: If you are a fan of Ferrell you may want to go see the movie. If not, you can easily wait for the DVD. What's crazy is that the funniest part of my two hours at the theater was the trailer for Ferrell's next movie Step Brothers with Talladega Nights co-star John C. Reilly. That's the sort of comedy I can't wait to see.