Semi-Pro is Kent Alterman’s debut directorial, and takes Scot Armstrong’s screenplay to the big screen with the largest ego in the world. We’re talking about Will Ferrell whose career has been propelled by competitive over-the-top performances. He dazzled with Ron Burgundy, establishing a cult-following for Anchorman, he amused audiences with Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights and he oozed masculinity in Blades of Glory as Chaz Michael Michaels. The man is ridiculously funny and has set a new standard in quotable quotes.
Unfortunately, the same can not be said for Semi-Pro. Owner-coach-player, Jackie Moon (Ferrell) tries to motivate fans and his basketball team the Tropics of ABA Flint, Michigan to get them through to the NBA. Ferrell’s ferocious on-screen personality is missing something and even his manliness and over-the-top performance can’t save the day. Semi-Pro is another Ferrell vehicle, except it seems to be reining him in rather than letting him loose. There are some fantastic comedy moments in Semi-Pro: an incident involving a bear, a round of Russian roulette and some bouts of anger.
The film can’t be faulted for being committed with all the regalia, hairstyles and music from the era. However, the story is fairly meaningless, the characters don’t have the same comedic bite, Ferrell isn’t right for the game and the passion is missing. On paper you’d expect great things from the ensemble, but Semi-Pro is inconsistent and almost too serious. This is one movie that definitely won’t make the “Best of Ferrell” comedy collection.
Ferrell fans will be disappointed by Semi-Pro and new audiences will wonder what all the fuss is about. Ferrell is a talented actor and comedian and it seems that his most electric performances are generated when he’s got Adam McKay at the helm or creative control of the script. When these two elements are missing, the movie tends to lose some of its magic. Ferrell’s eyes tend to deaden and the comedy suffers as a result. His masterpiece was Anchorman, and everything in its wake seems to borrow character clusters and one-line conventions from it.
Ferrell’s stellar comedy only seems to work with him as the Sun. He’s larger-than-life, over-the-top and more ridiculous than ever - but that’s only when the tiger’s set free. Jackie Moon and Semi-Pro don’t quite do it for him and this only makes the path seem well-worn and old. The film does begin to improve at the three-quarter mark, but relies on sub-plots that steal the limelight from our hero, Jackie Moon. As a result, Semi-Pro is strictly for Ferrell fans, who’ll probably be more forgiving than the general public.
The bottom line: Tired.
