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Semi-Pro
Reviewed by Theo Michelfeld
Posted: March 2, 2008

Will Farrell is back in theatres this weekend, and milking his comfort zone once again as an unduly-arrogant, dubiously-conditioned, foolishly-dressed man-child athlete. The film is called Semi-Pro, and this time Farrell is sending up the now-defunct American Basketball Association, which, back in the seventies, offered a flashy alternative to the NBA. Farrell plays Jackie Moon, the under-qualified player/coach/owner of a fictional last-place team called the Flint Tropics. When Jackie learns that the league plans to fold, with only four teams surviving to join the NBA, he begins staging desperate promotional efforts to raise his team’s profile and keep it in business.

With its fairly skeletal screenplay, and its sometimes lazy dependence on profanity and polyester, Semi-Pro is nothing if not assailable. Also, the film features a few too many straight-men, where previous Farrell comedies have included hilarious performances by quality co-stars like Paul Rudd and John C. Reilly. But improv-driven comedies like this tend to be hit-and-miss anyway, and in the case of Semi-Pro there are enough inspired moments to carry this film across its occasional dry spells. Indeed the funnier scenes go on a little longer, and have a momentum and energy that differ from scenes that aim merely to advance the plot. Clearly the filmmakers were after “lightning in a bottle” and settled for what they got. And thanks to Will Farrell, the results are usually pretty funny.

Meanwhile, if my enjoyment of this film is not entirely objective, it may be because it features an aesthetic to which I am particularly vulnerable. Like a lot of people, I have a fascination with the era in which my consciousness first formed, and so the 70’s vibe of Semi-Pro appeals to me in a way it may not to viewers from previous or later generations. That said, it is not merely the clothes and cars and music and afros that Semi-Pro exploits for laughs. There is a borderline-historical aspect to this film, which simultaneously mocks and celebrates the ABA’s more desperately flashy qualities. For instance, Jackie Moon wrestles a bear in one scene—and this is inspired by an actual ABA promotional gimmick. In general Semi-Pro has a more authentic feel than Farrell’s other polyester satire Anchorman, and while it doesn’t match that film for laughs, it does have a somewhat hypnotic effect based purely on its cinematic qualities. Indeed, with its grimy locker rooms and echoing, half-empty sports arenas, this film seems to take a big cue from the 1977 film Slap Shot, which satirized the culture of minor league hockey.

I can’t promise Semi-Pro will appeal to everybody. Of course, if you can’t get enough of Will Farrell, you can expect another big dose of his particularly loveable foolishness, and therefore you will probably enjoy this movie. As for the rest of you, ask yourself if the notion of a Flint, Michigan basketball team with the pre-game rally cry “Let’s get Tropical!” is funny or not. If so, you might appreciate the spirit of this comedy. Otherwise, you can safely excuse yourself. Though Jackie Moon would likely promote Semi-Pro as “The most important film of the century!” you can be assured it is anything but.

Copyright © 2008 Theo Michelfeld