Playing for Keeps Reviews

What do you really want?

Great family movie! An honest movie, well acted, well written and well directed. Somehow refreshing to see a comedy that could it go wrong easily and instead was delivered in a classy and delicate manner. Honesty is the best attribute to describe this movie; it is never over the top, and it doesn't pretend to be what is not. A classic comedy about becoming an adult with a good set of values. Gerard plays his role in a credible tone as all his co-stars, Jessica is fantastic and gives a very strong performance. Special mention to all the secondary characters that played their best with the roles. I wish more movies like this one will get out there and be seeing. Well done and highly recommended.

George is a former professional soccer star who's moved to Virginia to be close to his ex-wife and son. He's broke, jobless, without a plan, and a constant source of disappointment to his son. When he takes over as his son's soccer coach, he has a new connection to the lad. He also gets the attention of three of the players' moms as well as the glad hand of a wealthy dad. His ex-wife's getting married, he has a lead on a sportscasting job, and he finds new ways to disappoint his son. Is there any way he can sort things out?

Here is another example that a great cast, doesn't make a great movie. Gerard Butler stars as an ex soccer player who returns home to be closer to his son and try to win back his engaged ex-wife played by Jessica Biel. While there he coaches his sons soccer team and all kinds of shenanigans ensue with the fellow parents. Catherine Zeta Jones, Uma Thurman, Dennis Quaid, and Judy Greer all costar, and all of them ham it up and go overt the top. This is a romantic comedy that starts out just OK, then goes off the wheels and doesn't really know what is wants to be or be about. It runs at an hour and 45 minutes, which is way too long, and probably a reason this movie ends up not being good. Butler is probably the best thing here, but even here he isn't at his best. My wife fell asleep, and if she doesn't make is through a chick flick movie, then usually that's a good sign it isn't good at all. Give it a chance if your in the mood for an incoherent comedy with little laughs. Otherwise just skip it .

I honestly don't have a whole lot to say about this film, because it is terrible, but harmless. If Gerard Butler wants to keep settling for these kinds of movies, fine, but I know he is capable of more. In this film, Butler stars as George, a former professional football (soccer) player, who was forced to stop after an injury. He has faced hard times since, including divorce from his wife (Jessica Biel), despite the fact that they both had a child together. Now, with few options financially, George takes up the position as his son's head soccer coach. In doing this, he attracts several of the soccer moms, including Catherine Zeta-Jones, Uma Thurman, and Judy Greer. During this time, George contends with each of them, along with a soccer dad played by Dennis Quaid. Going further, George finds himself in a position to get a sportscasting job for ESPN, yet he still has to consider what it would mean for spending time with his son and possibly making up with his ex.

This is the kind of feel good rom-com that I generally don't seek out, but even I was slightly intrigued by the concept. It is just unfortunate that Dennis Quaid and every soccer mom in this film tried to see who could overact the most. It does not help that Butler's character is an idiot. Somehow, despite once being a superstar in the world of soccer, George is overtaken by the idea of people coming on to him and offering him more than he deserves, which leads to some 'hilarious and sticky' situations and unfortunately causes trouble with his own family. Uh oh, what's George going to do? Well, a constantly dour Jessica Biel is George's ultimate goal, so hopefully she'll be able to realize that her perfectly acceptable fiance is no match for what scruffy George has to offer. Not helping at all is the weird shift between movies. At some points it's a redemption story and other times a sexy farce about crazy soccer moms. I think the movie even forgets it's about soccer at times. Try as everyone does, even poor Judy Greer, who I love and wish could do something in a live-action feature that is as good as she is on Archer, this film is just a schmaltzy slog that is dumb and forgettable. Actually, one last note - Dennis Quaid is embarrassingly bad in this movie and Thurman still tries to top him, just like when she did the same to Arnold in Batman & Robin.

Brimming with 300 reasons to despise it, the Ugly Truth about Gerard Butler's latest is that it's Playing for Keeps with atrociousness. Someway somehow, this star shot from career-making testosterone superhero to career suicide rom-com bottom feeder in no time flat. It's not that he doesn't color in the lines of what the genre requires-it's just that the lines are dotted with dreadfully lazy writing. Formulaic to the point of being Easy Bake, this connect-the-dots dramedy would have debuted on ABC Family were it not for the A-List cast...okay, formerly A-List. The only logical explanation for their participation in this project would be if their quick-paycheck-smelling financial planner said, "Goooooooooooooal!"

In this PG-13-rated sports dramedy from director Gabriele Mucchino (The Pursuit of Happyness), a has-been former sports star (Gerald Butler) starts coaching his son's soccer team in an attempt to get his life together...oh, and maybe plays the field with the players' moms (Biel, Uma Thurman, Catherine Zeta-Jones).

Biel, Thurman, and Zeta-Jones all exhibit wonderful acting chops...just not in this movie. Here, along with Dennis Quaid playing a kinda sorta heavy who disappears for most of the running time only to return to literally wrestle up a third act, they comprise the equivalent of Goalie of the Dolls. How these stars signed onto this wannabe Afterschool Special based on the pedestrian screenplay just defies logic. From the opening titles, Playing for Keeps colors by numbers like the worst of them, serving up a bad father-making good factory model in the tired tradition of Jingle all the Way.

Bottom line: Retch It like Beckham.

Such a big star cast, wasted!

Glad I only paid 1.99 to see it. This must have been a movie these actors did for a vacation or something.

Pretty standard fare, although less hokey than a lot of romantic dramas I've seen. Gerard Butler is likeable, but for the most part this is really not anything new or all that entertaining. It's cute enough, but there's not enough plot and I found myself waiting for it to be over.

The critics were right on this one. There were so many random pointless parts that didn't go anywhere that it ruined any plot it had going at all. It has an all-star cast but Butler and Biel were the only thing worth watching. Quaid and Thurman were obnoxious and pointless. Gabriele Muccino has directed brilliant movies in the past like Seven Pounds and a Pursuit to Happiness, but this was just sad. I mean, overall it was somewhat entertaining, but you definitely expect more.

Another turkey for Gerard Butler, following the craptastic Chasing Mavericks. In Playing For Keeps Butler is a former soccer star trying to connect again to his ex-wife (Jessica Biel) and their son (Noah Lomax), and so he starts to fill in as soccer coach for his son's team. Seems like that couldn't be uncontroversial until director Gabriele Muccino tosses a bunch of women at him and suddenly the movie wants to be Alfie, all of the actresses playing demeaning parts, good actresses too that include Judy Greer, Uma Thurman and Catherine Zeta-Jones. It's just plain awful, there's nothing more to explain. Stay far, far away.

This was a very sweet story. I love sappy chick flicks like this one. The best always have a happy ending and this was no exception.

Eh, this movie was mediocre. It started out really slow. I didn't feel like the characters really connected. I also didn't like that George (Gerard Butler) wanted his ex (Jessica Biel) back, but he was sleeping with the other soccer mom's. It didn't make sense to me. All in all, cute for the time being. I won't be watching this again though. Typical romantic comedy.

Gerard Butler plays a former soccer star that is doing his best to juggle his past while being faced with the fact that he is now a broke divorced man with no job or prospects. The movie had potential in some areas despite its simple premise, but practically fails to delivers on most levels and becomes sub par in the end. On the bright side, Catherine Zeta-Jones still looks fantastic. This is definitely one of the movies where a star studded cast is brought forth to make up for the lack of story.

Dull, predictable and almost painful to watch, you know how it'll end before it starts. Biel is a terrible miscast in a crowd a mainly forty-somethings. Neither funny nor provocative, the only tolerable moments come on the soccer field, and mostly from the kids.

I was very impressed with the way this film turned out. Extremely upset that its reviews and box office scores weren't impressive but I thought otherwise. It was a classic heartwarming film that will have you feeling every emotion towards Gerard Butlers character. You want him to win, you want him to not get the girl back, but you are always interested in what is going on in this film. Definitely a must see, feel good movie.

A major bore, not the least bit funny and misogynistic in the way it portrays women as voracious maneaters or insecure headcases.

A 4%? That's pretty harsh because I really didn't think it was a terrible movie. Yes, it can be misogynistic at times, but this film isn't agonizingly bad. It had decent parts.

A very bland comedy. A stellar cast doesn't prevent this ship from sinking...

Romantic comedies have not exactly been critical goldmines for Gerard Butler (Machine Gun Preacher). Everybody knows he's cut out to be the action guy, the way he was in '300'. However, he's kind of funny, and (of the two of his I've seen) romantic comedies could find a lot worse leading man. This flick isn't anything to write home about, to be sure. Jessica Biel (Total Recall), Catherine Zeta-Jones (Rock of Ages), Judy Greer ("Archer"), and Uma Thurman (Les Miserables) provide some nice eye candy and entertaining scenarios, but don't save the film overall. Dennis Quaid (What to Expect When You're Expecting) steps out a little from his type-cast, but it's no game changer. What's very nice about the flick is that it's got heart when it could have had slapstick. Again, it's pretty predictable, but it's still nice to see a flick that tells a redeeming story.

I thouth this movie was good! I absolutely love Dennis Quaid!

Gerard Butler and soccer. 0% rating by critics? Yeah...but I'm still watching it.