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July 25, 2008 9:59:05 PM CDT

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Semi-Pro Not Even Semi-Funny

Posted Feb 29, 08 8:34 AM CST in Arts & Living 

(Newser) – Semi-Pro, a comedy set in 1976 that stars Will Ferrell as the owner/coach of and player for a losing professional basketball team, is the cinematic equivalent of an air ball, say critics, who call the film erratic, repetitive, and dull. "If you're on the prowl for a Ferrell yuk-fest, you'd do better renting one of his more successful comedies than spending money on this faux sports dud," writes James Berardinelli of ReelViews.

The problem, says Andrea Chase of Killer Movie Reviews, is "bad writing, imprudent editing, or an unfortunate combination of the two." In addition, Semi-Pro doesn't seem to know what it wants to be—a movie about an underdog sports team or a spoof of one. The movie "tries for semi-sweet when bittersweet would have been better," and "semi-silly when full-bore absurd was called for," writes Roger Moore of the Orlando Sentinel.

Sources Rotten Tomatoes, ReelViews, Killer Movie Reviews, Orlando Sentinel

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This undated photo released by New Line Cinema shows Will Ferrell, right, portraying Jackie Moon and Andrew Daly portraying Dick Pepperfield in the movie "Semi-Pro." (AP Photo/Frank Masi)   (Associated Press)
Actor Will Ferrell makes an appearance at MTV Studios in Times Square for MTV's "Total Request Live" show to promote his new movie "Semi Pro", Monday, Feb. 25, 2008, in New York. (AP Photo/Peter Kramer)   (Associated Press)
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Semi-Pro Official Trailer   (SemiPro (YouTube))

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basketball  • movie review  • comedy  • Will Ferrell  • Semi-Pro  • sports comedy


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