Starring: Jackie Earle Haley, Woody Harrelson, Patti LaBelle, Maura Tierney, Tim Meadows Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Binding: DVD Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC Label: New Line Home Video Number of Items: 1 Region Code: 1 Release Date: June 03, 2008 Running Time: 91 minutes Theatrical Release Date: February 29, 2008
Product Description: Will Ferrell stars in Semi-Pro an outrageous comedy set in 1976 against the backdrop of the maverick ABA - a fast-paced wild and crazy basketball league that rivaled the NBA and made a name for itself with innovations like the three-point shot and slam dunk contest. Ferrell plays Jackie Moon a one-hit wonder who used the profits from the success of his chart-topping song "Love Me Sexy" to achieve his dream of owning a basketball team. But Moon's franchise the Flint Michigan Tropics is the worst team in the league and in danger of folding when the ABA announces its plans to merge with the NBA.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY/PARODY & SPOOF Rating: R UPC: 794043121449 Manufacturer No: 1000038675
Amazon.com: The 1970s are back in all their excessive glory in Semi-Pro, an uneven but not uninspired Will Ferrell comedy about a professional basketball team that puts more energy into insane promotional schemes than playing well on the court. Ferrell stars as Jackie Moon, a former pop sensation who made enough money from a couple of hit records (the biggest: "Love Me Sexy") to buy Flint, Mich.'s the Tropics, a disorganized bunch of losers with one genuine talent named Coffee Black (Andre J. Benjamin). Despite knowing little about the game, Jackie is the Tropics' coach as well as a player, though his greater love is in coming up with such bizarre marketing stunts as wrestling a bear and attempting a motorcycle jump over a line of cheerleaders. When the Tropics look like they might be shut down, Jackie desperately agrees to let washed-up veteran player Monix (Woody Harrelson) take over coaching, turning the team's fortunes around--just a bit. The film's thin premise opens the floodgates to a series of absurd vignettes that suit Ferrell's silly-satiric brand of frat humor very well. There are choice moments, such as Jackie's table-shoving tantrum at a meeting of team owners (presided over by an aghast but tolerant commissioner, adroitly played by David Koechner), and his rapid escape from the Tropics' arena when he realizes everyone in the stands has won free corndogs (at Jackie's expense). Other performers shine, too, including Will Arnett and Andrew Daly as a glass-half-full/glass-half-empty pair of game announcers, and Maura Tierney as Monix's former love interest. The script is by Scot Armstrong (The Heartbreak Kid), and the film is the first directorial effort of producer Kent Alterman (Mr. Woodcock). --Tom Keogh
Will Ferrell Throws an Air Ball with Semi-Pro Perhaps it is becoming more and more evident that Will Ferrell is far better cast as a cameo appearance actor. Though he tends to be quit humorous in roles where he is not the lead actor, it is when the weight of the success of the film is in Ferrell's shoulders that he seems to falter time and time again. One really not need look any further than Taladega Nights to realize this but if that is not enough proof to support the hypothesis for you, then check out Semi-Pro.
Directed by Kent Alterman and written by Scot Armstrong, Semi-Pro is a rather lackluster comedy film that nails stupidity quite well but falls short in providing any real comedy throughout the entire film. There are merely a glimmer of comedy spread here and there throughout the film but the movie really seems to be a lot of tired old Will Ferrell jokes and humor.
Jackie Moon (Will Ferrell) is the owner-coach-player of the American Basketball Association's team the Flint Michigan Tropics. Moon, a sultry R&B artist known best for his song "Love Me Sexy" is equally as good at being an owner, a coach and a player on a professional ABA team, and that does not say much. His basketball prowess focuses on catch and pass time and time again and his coaching and ownership stake is more focused on coming up with witty pre-game introductions than it is on running a basketball program.
Andre Benjamin (of Outkast fame) plays the part of Clarence, perhaps one of the finest players on the Tropics squad. However, his skills being so far above some of the others on the Tropics also makes him the constant prized possession of so many other basketball teams. Though Clarence does change his name in the film to Coffee Black, there is nothing really all that strong about the peformance that Benjamin puts into the film.
The diamond in the rough for this film is the character of Ed Monix played by Woody Harrelson. Harrelson plays the part of a washed up former NBA player whose stints included spending significant time for several clubs on the court, but mostly on the bench. If it were not for Harrelson's performance in this film the entire movie would have needed to have been scrapped.
When the ABA decides that they are going to downsize and fold the remaining teams into the NBA, the owners need to come up with some sort of way to determine which teams will be on the chopping block and which will make it to the big time. The ultimate decision that was rendered now leaves the Flint Michigan Tropics fighting for a chance to make it into the big scene.
Moon decides that since his playing is certainly not going to launch him into the NBA that perhaps he can reinvigorate the fan base in Flint by a series of stupid entertainment promotions. Not only are Moon's ideas quite cheesy, but the fact that the viewer is subjected to have to sit there and watch his ideas come to life on screen is just as cheesy on the part of the writer and director.
Though when Will Ferrell is involved you are not expecting the most cinematographic piece of excellence, Semi-Pro does not even deserve to be called a minor league film. Just as the Flint Michigan Tropics were never going to make it in the basketball world, this film is never going to be thought of as being anything close to quality and in fact is not even really worth watching at all.
Almost as bad as the Boston Celtics were the year before their NBA Championship season this year, Semi-Pro is nothing more than a bunch of air balls and bricks and Semi-Pro ends up the loser.
AWFUL!!! Absolute WASTE of $$. Hubby bought it thinking it would be a good laugh. Nothing but a RAUNCHY movie. So thankful I chose to fall asleep 20 minutes into the movie. From what my husband said all I missed were countless "f"-bombs and every other word that I would have no interest in listening to for an hour and a half. Don't waste your money. Wish Will Farrell would go back to the comedy of "Elf".
Why the low ratings?!?!!?? I love Will Ferrell. Ferrell and Apatow are 2 people out there redefining comedy and making sure it doesnt suck in this day in age. Ferrell usually plays the same roles in all of his movies. A Guy with an inflated ego, and usually has a nude scene. However, this is not the case although it seems like it. This movie is pretty hilarious, and the story aint bad either. YES it is rated R, but thats only in the scenes where he lashes out at the ref, which are hysterical. 3 of the scenes in this movie are classic. SPOILER ALERT: #1 The Rob Cordorry masturbation scene #2 The Jive Turkey Scene (Will Arnett is hilarious) #3 The Arguments with the refs, Oh and also when Woody Harrelsons character is traded for a washing machine cracks me up. I liked this movie and I think you will too, go buy semi-pro
Disappointing... I had high hopes and was let down. It has its moments. Hopefully Will Ferrell will redeem himself in Step Brother...
Alot fun to watch The movie is very entertaining to myself and others that I know. The speacal features are something to look at also.
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