Semi-Pro

This is right up there with Anchorman and Talladega Nights in my opinion. This is the Unrated version so if you're easily offended you might want to skip this. Out of all Will Ferrell's movies, this is the one I find myself rewatching the most throughout the years. Sure, basically all his movies are hilarious, (barring Blades of Glory, which I found mildly entertaining) but this one just has a certain je ne sais quoi that's hard to put my finger on. Maybe it's the all around great cast that really brings it together or the 70s styles and music, but I love this movie. Highly recommend if you're a fan of Will Ferrell. If you don't like this movie, you're a "jive turkey" ;)

If you like Will Ferrell, this is one of his best movies. It reminds me of old war stories that ABA players tell about fights every night and cashing your check as soon as you get it to make sure it doesn't bounce. The owners ran promotions that they couldn't redeem just to get butts in the seats. Will Ferrell is great, and some absolutely fabulous one-liners in this movie.

Semi-Pro was an excellent spoof of the American Basketball Association (ABA) that was in business from 1967-76. The league was known for its flashy play and financial troubles. In 1976 it merged with the National Basketball Association. All of those are included in the movie.It focuses upon The Flint, Michigan Tropics who are owned by Jackie Moon (Will Ferrell). He is also the team’s starting power forward. He knows little about basketball, but he’s an amazing promotor. When the ABA announces that it will merge with the NBA and only four teams will continue Moon has a fit threatening to fight the other owners. Then he comes up with a proposal that the teams with the four best records should join the NBA. The movie then focuses upon whether the Tropics can make the top four. They trade their washing machine for Monix (Woody Harrelson) who won a championship with the Celtics, but is now on the downside of his career. He tries to shape the team’s star Clarence (Andre 3000) into a complete player. There’s also great play by play by Dick Pepperfield (Andy Daly) and Lou Redwood (Will Arnett).The movie plays upon all the highs and lows the ABA was known for. Many of the teams struggled with fans which is true for the Tropics. During the opening game Pepperfield and Redwood say neither has been paid as a result. Moon tries everything to bring in people including having a bear fight, and doing a roller skating jump off a ramp over his cheerleaders. The ABA was also known for its innovations. It started the dunk contest and brought the 3-point shot to the NBA. In the movie it has the Tropics doing the first alley-oop.Semi-Pro also has a great soundtrack of 70s Soul and Funk tunes. It really helps capture the times the movie is set in.The film is hilarious. During the bear fight it escapes the cage. Moon tells the crowd to grab a young child and put it in front of them for protection. During a game Moon gets a concussion and dreams that he’s going to heaven where he sees his mom who turns out to be singer Patti LaBelle. It’s really worth a watch.C

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This movie is fairly clearly a tribute to the glory days of the ABA (American Basketball Association), one-time competitor to the National Basketball Association, though that tribute is cached within a comedy that happens to feature Will Ferrell, André Benjamin, Will Arnett, Woody Harrelson, Maura Tierney, Rob Corddry, and Andy Richter (among others).In Semi-Pro, Ferrell's character, Jackie Moon, has made his fortune thanks to becoming a one-hit wonder as an R&B singer of a song that is featured early in the film, "Love Me Sexy." Love Me Sexy was written for the film and seems to borrow from the styles of the times the movie is set in, in this case the mid '70's. As it turns out, the soundtrack for the movie offers a decent selection of 1970's hit songs and for those who grew up in the era it's a nice reminder of the times.Jackie takes the money he has made from his hit record and uses it to buy an ABA franchise that he moves from Florida to his own home town of Flint, Michigan (though that isn't explained well in the final cut of the film, and instead you learn that information via deleted and bonus scenes included on the second of the two discs in the Blu-ray package). Jackie's skill set is firmly grounded in choreography and marketing, though as owner of the Flint Tropics basketball team he has given himself a role as a player and coach of the team he owns.Early in the film we find that Jackie and his teammates, while having fun playing, aren't all that serious as basketball players. The league itself is experiencing financial difficulties, and the Tropics are facing a similar situation. Fans aren't filling the arena, and despite Jackie's best efforts at putting on a show that will get fans to come to the games, the lack of financial stability shows through in background comments from team personnel and announcers that note that they haven't been paid.Jackie heads off to a league owners meeting where a merger between the ABA and NBA is confirmed. Hearing this news, Jackie gets enthusiastic at the idea of becoming an owner of a team in the NBA only to find that the teams that will be absorbed into the NBA don't include his own. A mini-revolt amongst the team owners (lead by Jackie) results in a vote to have the teams that will be brought into the NBA determined by the standings of the teams in the league. Though the Tropics are mired in the cellar of the league standings, Jackie sees hope in the idea that if he can get his team to perform he may yet be able to keep his team alive.The rest of the story borrows heavily from various sports films including Major League though several anecdotes from the good old days of the ABA are tossed in for good measure, including the idea that one player (Woody Harrelson's Ed Monix) is traded to another team in exchange for a clothes washer. Can the Tropics improve their record enough to stay in business? Can they raise their attendance enough to seem to be a viable team? You'll have to watch the film to find out.The sports cliche's are thick, and the jokes aren't quite as plentiful as you would think. Again, mixed in here pretty well is a great deal of respect and admiration for the little league that could, the ABA.Definitely check out the extras on the second disc, including a short history of the ABA, in doing so you'll gain extra insight into how this film came to be and just what the writer and director were trying to achieve (not that you can't tell from watching the film, but you will likely appreciate the effort all the more after seeing the extras).Look for cameos from some of the ABA's great players, along with interviews of those same players in the extras.Language in the un-rated edition is pretty coarse, along with some graphically implied sexual content and sexual innuendo. Easily worth a rental, with extra value for people that remember the ABA or want to learn a little more about the league.

Semi-Pro sees Will Ferrell starring as Jackie Moon who owns, coaches and plays for the Flint Michigan Tropics in a lower level basketball league but when the league decides to join forces with the NBA and take 4 of its teams being able to make the step up whilst the others will be dropped from the league. Can Jackie bring in the fans and rally his team to jump from the bottom of their league to the heights of the NBA?The film is OK and has a few laughs but it is not one of the best offerings from Ferrell so don't go in expecting an amazing comedy as this will disappoint if you go in with high expectations. The film is watchable and will deliver a little bit of laughter but it is not a laugh out loud type of movie.

Some people just don't like Will Ferrell so they won't like this film, i do and thought this film was good. Its not quite as funny as Anchorman or Blades of glory but its actually a good film on its own. Set in the 70,s and about a small basketball team heading for the NBA it does have some very funny moments and is a good way to waste an hour and a half on a rainy night. The bluray picture is very nice and crisp with excellent colours. The 2 disc edition is full of the usual stuff and makes it good value. Good film especially at a cheap price point on bluray.

What better than a night in with a nice film to sit back and relax too. Quality is superb as I would expect from Blu-Ray. Another great addition to the collection. If your a fan of the actors its a must watch! Ordered and turned up very quickly! Great packaging as always from Amazon.

Great product as described

Bought this for my son. We've watched it before and thought it was hilarious.My only reservation is that it took about a month to arrive. However I was updated via email to say it was delayed several times and given option to cancel. I wasn't in a rush to get it so wasn't bothered.A must for Will Ferrell fans.