7 Comedies That Should Have Been Great (But Weren't)

2. Semi-Pro

semi pro

Why It Should Have Been Great: Yes, a Will Ferrell sports comedy has practically become a genre unto itself but, c'mon, this one's about basketball! And it's set in the Seventies! Why It Wasn't: Clearly humour was invented sometime around 1980. As Jackie Moon, owner, coach and star player of the floundering Flint Tropics, Ferrell has little to do but shout and pout. And as much as we'd like to squint and pretend it's really Ron Burgundy in those basketball shorts, the dialogue just isn't quite the same. Ferrell may thrive on playing these larger-than-life types, but he's best when bouncing off a slightly-less-bonkers supporting cast. Here, however, the rest of the bench, including Woody Harrelson and Andre Benjamin, is reduced to dead wood. In fact, aside from the occasional, incongruous setpieces (such as Moon wrestling a bear) you'll be surprised at how quickly you can forget it's supposed to be a comedy. Indeed, in the plucky underdog finale that you've seen a thousand times before, you're not willing the team to victory-you're counting down the seconds on the clock until it's game over.
Contributor
Contributor

Yorkshireman (hence the surname). Often spotted sacrificing sleep and sanity for the annual Leeds International Film Festival. For a sample of (fairly) recent film reviews, please visit whatsnottoblog.wordpress.com.