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Semi-Pro

Semi-Pro (2008)

tomatometer

21

Average Rating: 4.5/10
Reviews Counted: 156
Fresh: 33 | Rotten: 123

Semi-Pro is an intermittently funny, half-hearted attempt at sports satire, and one of Will Ferrell's weaker cinematic efforts.

28

Average Rating: 4.9/10
Critic Reviews: 32
Fresh: 9 | Rotten: 23

Semi-Pro is an intermittently funny, half-hearted attempt at sports satire, and one of Will Ferrell's weaker cinematic efforts.

audience

41

liked it
Average Rating: 2.9/5
User Ratings: 272,964

My Rating

Movie Info

The American Basketball Association is on the verge of collapse, and when a former NBA benchwarmer returns to his hometown of Flint, MI, to whip his former team into shape for the playoffs, redemption is just a free throw away in this period sports comedy starring Will Ferrell and Woody Harrelson. Penned by Old School scribe Scot Armstrong, Semi-Pro tells the tale of a 1970s-era basketball player who doesn't have much luck in the NBA, but vows to leave his mark on the sport by coaching the Flint

R, 1 hr. 39 min.

Comedy

Scot Armstrong

Jun 3, 2008

$33.4M

New Line Cinema

Cast

All Critics (159) | Top Critics (33) | Fresh (36) | Rotten (125) | DVD (16)

The semifunny Semi-Pro is amiable enough, but you never feel there's much at stake.

March 31, 2008 Full Review Source: Newsweek | Comment
Newsweek
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Judging from this low-scoring sports comedy about the mystique of men with balls, Will Ferrell needs to call a time-out from belly baring to refocus his fan-favorite game of playing clueless male doofuses.

March 6, 2008 Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | Comment
Entertainment Weekly
Top Critic IconTop Critic

You take the Will Ferrell formula and you plug it in, but somehow it just feels kind of uninspired and flat.

March 3, 2008 Comment
Ebert & Roeper
Top Critic IconTop Critic

There are some ludicrous sight gags and uniquely silly, if foul-mouthed, laughs. The movie falters when it tries to be serious. Fortunately, those moments are few.

February 29, 2008 Full Review Source: USA Today | Comment
USA Today
Top Critic IconTop Critic

You can't help but marvel, and laugh at, Ferrell's indefatigable enthusiasm and willingness to make a complete ass of himself.

February 29, 2008 Full Review Source: Toronto Star | Comment
Toronto Star
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Ferrell is capable of a great deal more than he's been delivering. It might surprise him to learn that white men can jump. But first they have to try.

February 29, 2008 Full Review Source: San Jose Mercury News | Comment
San Jose Mercury News
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Semi-Pro isn't the most well-designed of comedies, it's far too disjointed without enough thought given to making it work as a whole, but there are enough genuinely funny moments, especially from upstart Daly, to make it worth a look.

March 30, 2011 Full Review Source: ComingSoon.net | Comment
ComingSoon.net

Root-canal territory all the way

August 27, 2009 Full Review Source: CinePassion | Comment
CinePassion

Will Ferrell's Semi-Pro is a dreadful comedy. It's lazy and slipshod.

February 2, 2009 Full Review Source: Fayetteville Free Weekly | Comment
Fayetteville Free Weekly

No amount or combination of shame, absurdity and unflattering outfits seem to dint Ferrell's fierce commitment to character.

October 18, 2008 Full Review Source: Screen International | Comment
Screen International

It isn't a good enough sports movie to please sports fans and it's not an outright funny enough movie to please Ferrell's fans.

October 18, 2008 Full Review Source: Three Movie Buffs | Comment
Three Movie Buffs

In the end it's too simply all too familiar.

October 18, 2008 Full Review Source: Q Network Film Desk | Comment
Q Network Film Desk

Semi-Pro offers nothing new.

October 18, 2008 Full Review Source: 3BlackChicks Review | Comment
3BlackChicks Review

You end up with a movie that is way too simple-minded for adults on an ABA nostalgia trip, and way too dirty for kids.

October 18, 2008 Full Review Source: Philadelphia Daily News | Comment
Philadelphia Daily News

A lot of it is funny, but the problem is that it doesn't amount to much.

October 18, 2008 Full Review Source: Entertainment Insiders | Comment
Entertainment Insiders

Unfortunately, the outrageousness lessens in the second half of the film, becoming your straight forward underdog movie.

October 1, 2008 Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | Comment
Hollywood.com

Coming from someone that didn't like Ferrell's last few comedies, I can say that this is an improvement.

July 22, 2008 Full Review | Comments (2)
Sin Magazine

we don't really need any more of these movies

July 5, 2008 Comments (3)

Qualifies as a sort of cinematic comfort food: it's the mac and cheese of the cineplex.

July 1, 2008 Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | Comment
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Semi-Pro

This is really a lame sports comedy, we've seen so many films like this now, especially with the 70's look going on, its extremely old and cliched. To make things worse this isn't even funny, only two occasions actually made me laugh, the rest of the time its just kinda dull.All the characters, looks and ideas have

March 8, 2008
phubbs1

Super Reviewer

The Greatest Fro on EarthSaw it again! Will Ferrell + Basketball = To me a good comedy which I enjoyed and laughed alot. Easy story to follow and never boring. Nice cast.Three men, three dreams. It's 1976 in Flint, Michigan. Jackie Moon's American Basketball Association team languishes in last place, with few fans in

February 27, 2008
xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
Manu Gino

Super Reviewer

    1. Jackie Moon: Everybody love everybody!
    – Submitted by Aaron R (2 months ago)

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