The wife and I went out to see The Bad News Bears remake a few nights ago and boy was I disappointed. Don't get me wrong, there are a number of scenes that drew a hearty laugh from yours truly, but the movie was really poorly made. There were several scenes in which the child actors looked as if they had received no direction and the movie failed to resolve several plotlines. Further, there are several points in which you wonder why a character is acting in a certain way. For example, toward the end, Billy Bob all of the sudden starts acting like a complete jackass toward the kids screaming at them as if he is one of those Little League dads who take the game too seriously. The movie completely fails to explain why Buttermaker all of the sudden turns into a hardass rather than a guy who doesn't give a crap.
The other thing that bugged me about this movie is that it tried too hard to be un-PC edgy without really following through. Yeah, they called the kid in the wheelchair a "cripple" a few times and one of the players on the Yankees inexplicably called the African-American Bear an "oreo" at one point, but the attempts at being shocking rang hollow. What was the director/writer trying to accomplish?
Anyway, I would not recommend seeing this movie unless you want to rent it and watch it in the comfort of your own home, preferably while folding laundry or doing some other house chores. Whatever you do, don't set aside other activities to make time for the Bad News Bears because, chances are, you will find yourself mildly disappointed.
-tre
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