Ferrell shoots, misses in “Semi-Pro”

Semi-Pro Starring: Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, Andre Benjamin Directed by: Kent Alterman New Line Cinema

out of

This season, “Semi-Pro” fouls out with lame 1970s sports comedy.

Led by a heavyweight comedy cast including Will Ferrell, Andy Richter and Will Arnett, “Semi-Pro” is set in 1976 Flint, Mich. It follows the last days of the fictional team The Tropics as its narcissistic owner, coach and player Jackie Moon (Ferrell), attempts to bring his team glory. When the American Basketball Association commissioner announces the league’s merger with the NBA, Moon sees his chance. To get The Tropics into the NBA, all he has to do is turn around the team’s losing streak and increase the average of spectators from 13 to 2,000 per game. Easy, right? And if Moon’s team doesn’t make it to the top four in the league, it’ll be financially dissolved.

This sets up the movie for the usual procession of introducing the new guy who must overcome psychological scars to lead the team to victory (Woody Harrelson as Monix), the hotshot who must overcome his ego to claim his true skills (Andre Benjamin as Clarence “Coffee” Black) and a lot of training montages. To make it a little funnier, “Semi-Pro” adds slapstick, visual gags and the usual varsity humor.

Ninety minutes later, you can leave the theater, meet some friends and quote lines from the movie to them – but you might have an urge to forget the rest of the movie.

The biggest problem with that formula is that the funny quotes aren’t as hard-hitting as they were in “Anchorman” or even “Talladega Nights,” two other Ferrell flagship movies. It’s terrible to see the talent of Arnett, playing a game announcer, wasted on such bland dialogue, because you can hear in his voice the will to make you laugh. He delivers the lines as well as he can, but the lines themselves are terrible. Most of his exchanges are with another announcer, played by Andrew Daly, who demolishes the over-the-top pacing that Arnett sets up with a weird take on what a sports announcer sounds like. You will cringe during these exchanges.

Ferrell gives the same performance he has given in most previous movies. He does a good job as a brainless, self-obsessed guy with a lot of heart, but it’s worn thin. He needs to change something between acting jobs because right now all we’re seeing is another incarnation of Ricky Bobby, who was just another incarnation of Ron Burgundy. It’s probably the director’s fault, as well – Ferrell has had a few breakout roles, such as Franz Liebkind in “The Producers” and Corbit in “Winter Passing.”

Without the usual funny moments to talk to friends about, you can guess that “Semi-Pro” can’t fall back on its story line for some 3-pointers. It’s not clear how Monix’s sudden turn as offensive and defensive coordinator transforms the terrible team into experts overnight. It isn’t even clear why anyone would see Monix as an interesting protagonist. And further, more than any “Frat Pack” movie before it, “Semi-Pro” has no believable reason for why Monix’s romantic interest is interested in him.

It would be a better idea to rent “Anchorman” and relive the good old days with Ferrell than see “Semi-Pro.” A close-to-the-end sequence will appeal to fans of alley-oops (and who doesn’t like those?), and it’s actually funny for a minute or so. However, don’t hold out for anything amazing. “Semi-Pro” is sadder than a Pitt loss.