There are some changes here, the film is much more focused on the coach than the kids, but for the most part it stays true to the spirit of the original. So how is it? I loved Bad Santa and I’m a huge Linklater fan, but they were also saddled with a script which doesn’t have much to it; I didn’t know what to expect. What I got was kind of like a good piece of chewing gum. I enjoyed the flavor while it lasted, but when it was over I spit it out and moved on to find something to eat that would sustain me.
Bad News Bears
2 Stars
Though I enjoyed it, I’m not a huge fan of the original Bad News Bears. So when I heard Billy Bob was going to star in a remake my initial response was—Why? There are some changes here, the film is much more focused on the coach than the kids, but for the most part it stays true to the spirit of the original. So how is it? I loved Bad Santa and I’m a huge Linklater fan, but they were also saddled with a script which doesn’t have much to it; I didn’t know what to expect. What I got was kind of like a good piece of chewing gum. I enjoyed the flavor while it lasted, but when it was over I spit it out and moved on to find something to eat that would sustain me.
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| Not too bad |
Buttermaker (Billy Bob Thornton) is a drunken foul mouthed exterminator in Sun Valley. Once, many years ago, he pitched two-thirds of an inning in the major leagues; this was by far the high point of his life. Now he spends most of his time drinking, smoking, cussing, and dating local strippers. For some extra cash he takes on the job of coach for a group of kids that were held out of the league but due to the zealousness of an one of the mothers (Marcia Gay Harden) have formed their own team. The group includes a kid in a wheelchair, two twins who speak only Spanish, and a group that doesn’t know the difference between a baseball and a motzo ball. So Buttermaker, when he’s not getting drunk and passing out on the pitcher’s mound, tries to help these kids learn to play and beat the favorites to win the championship who are coached by overbearing control freak Bullock (Greg Kinnear). Our coach recruits his former step-daughter (Sammi Kraft) and local bad boy (Jeff Davies) to help round out his team. You can probably guess what happens from here.
The film takes a few shots at those who coach and overbearing parents, but I would have preferred more. Aside from the ringers Thornton gets to improve his team, most of the kids are interchangeable and you don’t get much of a feel for them. You get a fat kid, a black kid, a ruffian, a wimp, a geek, a cripple, and so on, but they never really develop into any more than these threadbare generic characters. The film spends most of its time on Thornton’s character. This gives us most of the films funny moments, but you also tend to forget about half the kids on the team because they don’t get much camera time. Nor is any foundation is laid to help you understand why these kids want to play baseball in the first place, especially since it seems many of them have never played in the past. As for Thornton, his mood swings from mean spirited drunk to foolish but good hearted guy don’t always come off here; I guess the studio was afraid of him coming off as too mean or cruel. Finally, while the film is funny and amusing it is mostly cheap laughs and crude humor that you can enjoy once, but is easily forgettable and would get old after a couple of viewings.
For me the remake has the same effect as the original. You will laugh and enjoy it for what it is and then walk out of the movie and completely forget it. While diverting and amusing there are no bust gut laughs or great scenes to discuss after the credits roll. Was it okay, yeah. Could it have been better, definitely. You always are waiting for Thornton to go a step farther, but the studio’s mandatory PG-13 rating never lets him truly explore the character’s depth and depravity. I would have much preferred a sequel to Bad Santa rather than try to balance Thornton being an ass and a good hearted guy at the same time, and allow the humor to go all out rather than being restrained at times. If you are just looking for some fun foul mouthed entertainment for a couple of hours this summer you will probably enjoy yourself. Just don’t expect more.