Review by All Movie Guide
All Movie Guide
is neutral about it.
With his imposing frame and willingness to make a complete fool of himself,
Will Ferrell is a natural when it comes to sports comedies.
Talladega Nights played fresh by winning over NASCAR fans, the same people who were the object of the film's pointed satire, and
Blades of Glory got by on the sheer ridiculousness of men's figure skating, but the basketball comedy Semi-Pro is as uninspired as a team playing the final games of the season after they're already out of the playoff hunt. As the owner/coach/player of a fictional ABA basketball squad, Ferrell revels in the tacky seventies styles - his hair alone probably made the filmmakers think they had comedic gold. Ferrell's fro is just about the best thing in the movie - right after
Rob Corddry's character, a superfan whose devotion redefines the term "hero worship." For the vast majority of the running time, however, audiences are treated to the overly familiar Ferrell shtick - verbal non-sequiturs, exceedingly painful injuries, silly costumes, and clueless temper tantrums. The comedic law of diminishing returns dictates that the more a joke is repeated, the less funny it is likely to become with each retelling. While this is a far from ironclad truth, Semi-Pro offers unmistakable proof that the concept certainly exists. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide