Semi-Pro

Semi-Pro. The title's even mediocre and obvious. Sometimes this style of comedy works for me, notably Dodgeball, Zoolander, and Old School, but Semi-Pro is everything these comedic standouts are not, almost every joke and situation falling flat, even the scene where Jackie Moon (Will Ferrell) wrestles a bear.

The fundamental sporting comedy plot devices are in place, literally and structurally: a number of small town guys get together as a team and from that team find purpose and meaning for their lives; at the same time, a core group of sort-of-funny comedic actors who can be easily identified (Tim Meadows, Will Arnett, Rob Corddry, Matt Walsh) provide a familiar presence that brings with it some warm and friendly charm, as they fire an unloaded gun at one another while referring to the horrible realities underlying their past and present relationships. But the form needs content, and the content in this film is definitely semi-pro. It’s just awful, nothing works, there's no unity, no feeling, as if they shot the entire film in two weeks, partying hard throughout, but not the good kind of partying, the kind that produced albums like Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main St., the bad kind, the kind that produced It's Only Rock and Roll and Emotional Rescue. Perhaps the most touching moment comes when Woody Harrelson (Monix) teaches Jackie to puke. Yes, I was seriously reminded why its best to steer clear from this genre, from time to time, especially when the film in question doesn't have much of an advertising campaign, and wish I'd seen The Counterfeiters or Up the Yantgze instead. But I was in the mood for brain numbing comedy, of the funny I'm 15 again variety, funny brain numbing comedy, not the stupid and not funny kind, that kind.

The way in which the film proceeds is troubled as well: all of the details describing how Jackie Moon obtained his fortune are mentioned during the opening credits. The audience wants to see these details unfold during the film, quickly, at the beginning, like in Blades of Glory or The Life Aquatic. Also, you need a prominent human villain in the script. This script's villain (Woody Harrelson) was part of the basketball team and ends up being everyone's friend. Unfortunately, this 'spin-move' didn't work and should only be employed if your film also has a strong villain. (The collapse of the league can be seen as a villain as well, but this villain certainly didn't utter any zippy one-liners).

Oh yes, the film is about a struggling B-league basketball team trying to finish in 4th place so that their franchise can be one of four that is permitted to merge with the NBA.

I did like the allegory within one scene however: the American Basketball Association is trying to merge with the NBA so they want to keep a clean image. However, the players want to brawl in every game. Hence, in order to make sure their image remains clean, they save their brawling for commercial breaks, allegorically highlighting the underlying dimension of the prim and proper finished product (a successful presentation delivered by the CEO, a family managing to hide their craziness from one of their children's love interests, . . . ).