ViewGuide

Created Mar 06, 2008 02:07AM PST • Edited Nov 02, 2018 06:53AM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Good 3.0

   Semi-Funny. Worth seeing if you like basketball, Will Ferrell silliness, and/or 1970’s nostalgia.

   Essentially an extended SNL skit with big screen production values, Semi-Pro proves again that the Willster has perfected the art of mining his capacious id for extended comic benefit. While not in the Eddie Murphy – John Belushi SNL pantheon, he deserves his standing as a Not Ready for Prime Time Player worthy of the Big Screen.

4. Acting

   Good 3.0

   Will Ferrell’s metrosexual jock bit gets pushed to the limit here. Let’s remember that one of his first SNL bits was as a male cheerleader. His uniform has changed, he hasn’t.

   Other than “the star” and Jackie Earle Haley as an over-the-top stoner, only Andrew Daly and Will Arnett (two more SNL alumni) play demonstrably comical roles, here fulfilling the role of comic Greek chorus. While not Best in Show, they are sufficiently funny.

   Pretty much everyone else plays it straight: Woody Harrelson – a credible jock, Maura Tierny – displaying the same emotional tenor she uses in ER, Andre Benjamin – both a credible hoopster and a decent actor, and so on.

5. Male Stars Good 3.0

6. Female Stars Good 3.0

7. Female Costars Good 3.0

8. Male Costars Good 3.0

10. Film

    OK 2.5

11. Direction Barely OK 2.0

12. Play Barely OK 2.0

    No memorable catch phrases, but does have a few laugh out loud moments.

13. Music Great 4.0

    “Love Me Sexy” nails lame 70s R&B and is damn funny to boot. The rest of the soundtrack is perfect Me Decade make-out music.

14. Visuals Good 3.0

    The basketball scenes were surprisingly well executed, with Woody Harrelson’s backdoor assist a particular highlight.

15. Content

16. Edge

    Risqué 1.6

17. Sex Titillating 1.7

18. Violence Gentle 1.5

19. Rudeness Salty 1.7

21. Reality

    Glib 2.0

    Slapstick reality in all three dimensions: physical, circumstantial and biological. Yet while one of the movie’s conceits is the invention of the ally-oop, the stunned reaction of those witnessing this play strikes a natural chord. As much fun to say as to watch, the ally-oop did seem too cool to be legit when it first burst on the scene.

22. Circumstantial Glib 2.0

23. Biological Surreal 2.1

24. Physical Glib 1.8