Semi-Pro
By
Victoria Alexander
FilmsInReview.com

Another Will Ferrell attempt at drama in the "Bewitched" oeuvre.

My weekly column, "The Devil's Hammer," is posted every Monday. The Devil's Hammer on FTB. If you would like to be included on my distribution list for a weekly preview, just email me at masauu@aol.com.

Will Ferrell has blundered with "Semi-Pro" and the ad campaign's teaser line, "I just got back from an orgy" never made it into the movie I saw.

Someone left all the funny parts on the cutting room floor. And, who knew Woody Harrelson was (a) so short, (b) so obviously medicated, and (c) needed a paycheck.

Let's get started: It the 1970's, which means Ferrell can wear goofy clothes and a Jewish afro. Like every Ferrell character, Jackie Moon (Ferrell) is unaware he is a buffoon. After penning one hugely successful song, Moon is living his dream: He's the owner, coach, and star player of a Flint, Michigan basketball team. The Tropics semi-professional team is really all about Moon. He sings and choreographs the team's dance numbers. What he is not interested in is strategizing a winning game.

Moon has cultivated a defeated team of players. He's holding them hostage with his over-preening personality. As an opener to his character, he slaps one player several times.

The National Basketball Association is looking for four top teams for a merge and Moon decides that to win a spot he has to bring in a real player. He trades in the team's washing machine for Monix (Woody Harrelson), a former "star" player with a bad knee who really spent most of his career on the bench. But he does have The Ring.

Besides winning games, the semi-pro teams must bring in 2,000 paying customers. Considering that Moon's games are usually played in empty arenas, this is the biggest challenge he team has. Moon has an idea. He's going to wrestle a bear in a cage as a pre-game draw.

Ferrell has no chemistry with Harrelson. Who decided to put these two together? The rest of cast is merely extras with dialogue.

Perhaps Ferrell's rabid fans will make a hit out of this cheap, lazy production. The directing is terrible and, more important, it's not funny. Who edited out the funny stuff? I happen to love Ferrell's FunnyOrDie.com but no part of "Semi-Pro" would qualify for this internet site sensation. Ferrell has got to re-think his movie persona %u2013 John C. Reilly has eclipsed him as the clueless megalomaniac middle-aged guy with a dream. Reilly makes a commitment, Ferrell is now hogging the limelight.

What has happened to Will Ferrell?

Victoria Alexander lives in Las Vegas, Nevada and answers every email. You can contact Victoria directly at masauu@aol.com or by visiting www.FilmsInReview.com.