Hardball Reviews

It's an incredibly dumb urban sports movie that tries to cover racism and male comradery. Keanu Reeves plays a gambling low life who gets stuck coaching kids, so it's nothing you haven't seen before. I can tell that it wasn't supposed to be good, but that doesn't make it okay.

This hard-edged little dream deserves plenty of credit for avoiding the light comedy and fairy-tale conclusions by which underdog sports sagas usually are known, and would deserve an even higher rating were it not for Keanu Reeves's wooden (as usual) performance in the lead role. Really fantastic and emotional home run story.

It took me a week to come out with a rating on this one, and I still can't decide whether it's a pretty good movie with some really bad parts, or a bad movie with a few really good parts. The screenplay seems decent, but the dialogue is rough; Keanu Reeves is mostly bad, Diane Lane is mostly good. The sports scenes are more cliched and contrived than in any sports movie in recent memory - who makes up bristol board signs and cheers THAT much for little league baseball?? - but the "ghetto scenes" got away from the cliches that one usually sees in films with that subject matter and are surprisingly raw. All in all, the contrast the film draws between the hopelessness of day-to-day life in this particular community and the magic of baseball is very striking, and almost too stark for the film to hang together. The potential in this film is what keeps you watching, and though its execution is questionable, you don't really lose faith in the story, and I think most people will stick it out rather than turn it off. Most people.

This is a really dark movie really. The main guy is in the dumps in a bad way and he hooks up with inner city kids to play baseball. He is pretty much a scummy guy until the end and he doesn't seem to get the lesson the situation is trying to show him. The ending is a real bummer and you leave this movie feeling worse than when you started it.

not bad, diane lane was good in this one

Hardball is a totally predictable film from start to finish. While the young boys gave excellent efforts in their roles and Keanu was his usual outstanding self, the story line has been over done. This film was entertaining and I enjoyed the efforts by all the actors but it is not the type of film Reeves has done so well in the past.

This film had at first threw nothing but balls at me, then started to throw some strikes, before finishing off with some fastballs, and a few curves for one heck off a game.
Yes it is not a film in which it aims for thrown dishes, loud fyelling, and anger that wins awards, like "Leonard Dicaprio" and his always over-acting in films.
"Hardball" throws itself at you to get you to feel for the situation and let's you know what is happening, and what you need to realize about all that is encompassing this story.
I was midly impressed by this film.
"Three out of Four" Stars.
Mildly Reccomended.

Really pretty nice

Tragically stereotypical and cheesy. It had it's moments but for the most part it sucked hard balls.

it started off with me thinking "this will be a cheesy nobodies to winners tale, but it actually has the ability to make you cry.
One of the biggest surprises I have ever had.

Keanu Reeves is one of the worst actors of our time. Hardball is just another drama from the streets that tries to mix 2 subjects that shouldn't mix.

A cheesy and touching film, Hardball is not as bad as I expected. I remember watching it in the locker room ten years ago before winning a hockey state championship, so I have a soft spot for this Robbins-directed sports tale. Give it a chance, it's not as stale as it looks.

couldve been alot more better there was some aspects that were very emotional and gave a good dimension to this but either way this film was ultimately entertaining

A fun movie, is not harsh in points as to the treatment of the kids by their uncaring coach. It would not be much to mention, but the end of the film is so good you'll be surprised how much you actually enjoyed it.

best movie of all times. very emotional of all times, i love how it showed the hardships these kids went to bringing them closer together when there friend died. its a tear jerker and funny movie of all time

I love this movie. Keanu really shines as genuine in the roll of Conner ONeal. His acting opposite the character of G Baby was funny and heart-warming.

it tugged at my heartstrings, i loved it when you call me big poppa. watch the movie and you'll understand

I liked this film. It showed us a guy who stopped just caring about himself and started caring about those kids. Very nice film.

A decent movie. It's sort of a bad version of Bad News Bears, only add in some additional drama with the coach.

Hey everybody, give it up for Keanu Reeves doing a sentimental baseball movie. Actually, don't even think about calling this a baseball movie. It's just inner city melodrama.