"Semi-Pro" takes us back in time to the 1970s, where out-of-proportioned afros' hairstyles, funk music and pimped-out automobiles ruled the streets.
It starts off with Jackie Moon (Will Ferrell in yet another outlandish character role), owner, player, coach and power-forward for the Flint Michigan Tropics (a team in the Amateur Basketball League) introduces himself and his team to the sparse, yet enthusiastic crowd. From the montage beginning we know who he is: he is a one-hit wonder singer, with his once-popular song "Love Me Sexy" soaring to No.1 on the charts. With this came a fortune, which he chose to invest into an Amateur Basketball franchise. And as the ringside announcers Lou Redwood (Will Arnett) and Dick Pepperfield (Andrew Daly) remark, it's his money, he can do with it whatever he wants.
The plot of this story is pretty straightforward: the Tropics are bottom of the league, can't sink a basket to save their lives, and are faced with impending financial doom. The tension is increased when it is announced that they can save themselves by finishing fourth and being absorbed into the NBA. With this bait, Jackie enlists the help of seasoned pro Monix (Woody Harrellson), a player that in his career has punched and hit basically everyone at the Tropics. With this comes a really disturbing romantic side-plot involving a reluctant ex-girlfriend (Maura Tierney) and her obsessed boyfriend (Bob Coddry).
We have come to expect a specific character and brand of humour from Will Ferrell, and it's no different here. His character basically transports himself from Talledega Nights, with his usual rants and self-absorbed behaviour. Except instead of Nascar racing, we have Basketball. His character was funny in Talledega Nights, but here it just seems to be a bit overplayed, and whilst it does have its moments, in the end it does fall flat. The jokes seem to be repeating themselves.
What does make this movie worthwhile for a laugh though is the strength and acting of the supporting cast, noticeably from Woody Harrelson whose character perfectly finds the balance needed in the story. He plays his character in a serious overtone, and that is what makes it funny when you put it against the backdrop of the ridiculous Jackie Moon, 70s setting and Tropics franchise. Andre Benjamin, from the hip-hop group Outkast, also surprises in his role as Clarence, the team's best player who dreams of bigger and better things (AKA, the NBA). These characters are the most well-written and rounded. The most laughs though definitely come from the duo of Will Arnett and Andrew Daly, whose banter in the background is both brilliant and clever.
Semi-Pro is not a bad film, and there are lots of laughs, but if one is not a Will Ferrell fan one will struggle to find them. The film does a good job of taking us back in time to the era of the 1970s, with outlandish costumes and a funk-ridden soundtrack. In the end, the overall story and sometimes distracting direction is what lets this film down in the end. Definitely for Will Ferrell fans only.
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