Review of Semi-Pro (2008) by Eduardo C — 27 Sep 2009

Will Ferrell's shtick has gotten old very quickly and it was never particularly funny to begin with. Color me surprised then to find that Semi-Pro is a very enjoyable if harmless and forgettable experience.

Ferrell one more plays a parody of a parody, but he is surrounded by fantastic character actors who deliver nuanced, subtle performances. It is much funnier to hear someone say something ridiculous without breaking betraying his soft spoken character than for someone to shout inanities at the top of their lungs. Ferrell takes care of the latter while the liks of Woody Harrellson, Andy Richter and Andrew Daly beautifully handle the former.

Despite the fact there are great ideas here (using the CBA for inspiration, setting the film in Flint) the movie is little more than an excuse for friends to sit around a table and improvise. In this case, however, it worked out decently.