This movie could’ve been everything and more in terms of a sports comedy.
Perfect setting ✓
Hilarious Cast ✓
Fantastic Plot✓
Eastern European 7-footer✓
But it also had some issues. The plot is great, when it’s about the basketball-related aspects of the movie. The whole romantic interlude was a huge waste of time if we’re being completely honest, because it took away a good chunk of time that could’ve been spent towards the basketball. But enough nitpicking. Let’s. Get. Tropical.
The Flint Tropics of Flint, Michigan; a semi-professional basketball in the ABA (American Basketball Association) are full of colorful personalities with athletes from all areas of life. They’re led by their fearless owner/manager/coach/promoter/player and Flint’s favorite son, Jackie Moon (Will Ferrel). Not only is he a famous singing sensation, he’s the starting Power Forward for the Flint Tropics. But don’t forget about their star player, Clarence Withers AKA Downtown “Funky Stuff” Malone AKA Sugar Dunkerton AKA Coffee Black (André 3000) who aspires to make it to the NBA one day. The rest of the Tropics are rounded out by a few more athletic/social misfits and a Lithuanian guy who doesn’t speak any english. But they won’t let that stop them from touching glory; at the very least, 4th place.
After finding out the ABA will be absorbed by the NBA at the end of the season, and the Tropics will not be one of the four teams joining the NBA’s ranks, Jackie sends a Moon Shot of an idea right at the ABA commissioner and the rest of the league. The top four teams at the end of the season should go, not just the biggest markets. With that now being the case, the Tropics have some work to do if they want any chance to move into that 4th place slot. Insert Ed Monix (Woody Harrelson).
After making an aggressive trade, Jackie Moon parts ways with the team washing machine to the Kentucky Colonels in exchange for weathered veteran Ed Monix, the only ABA player to ever make it in the NBA. Despite his best physical years behind him, his basketball knowledge ends up becoming crucial towards the Tropics’ success. But then they penciled in his local love interest from back-in-the-day and that’s about where they lose a few style points. I get it, if it’s a great story of redemption and reflection but it’s not. They didn’t need that side quest to make this movie great. Maybe instead show more of Ed Monix and some more interactions with his new teammates and organization.
But the romance alone isn’t enough to deter this movie’s viewing experience, it’s the lack of actual basketball being played. There are bits and pieces, and some flashes of brilliance. But in my professional humble biased opinion, they skim over it too much and focus on other aspects of the situation at hand. The movie itself is just over 90 minutes, which is already not long for a movie; minus all the other non-basketball stuff going on and there ya go. But let’s not act like the comedic aspects fall short here. This movie is hilarious. Some of the jokes seem a bit over-the-top, but a lot of them have hilarious timing and are actually funny; not just stupid humor without character. I think that comes from the sincerity of it. This movie feels genuine, and that resonates with the humor in it. From the Flint Tropics’ broadcast team Dick Pepperfield and Lou Redwood to Jackie Moon threatening Father Pat’s livelihood and sending a ball into the cheap seats, this movie is funny.
But only so much funny can make up for the low points. I get it. Montages are necessary and an easy way to show time passing as well as games played or whatever else it needs to show the progression of, but I just feel like it can cheapen the piece as a whole. After all, it is art. And art shouldn’t be rushed; regardless of the kind of art that it is.
Just as things get going for the Tropics, the ABA and NBA are once again stacking the deck, trying to make it impossible for Flint to make it to the NBA. But that’s not gonna stop them from getting tropical.
Despite climbing through the ABA rankings and reaching a chance for 4th place, the Tropics are informed they won’t make the NBA even if they win their final game which is about a severe blow to morale as you can get. But no matter what the NBA thinks, they made a promise to themselves that they would get that 4th place; no matter what. And not going to the NBA is not gonna stop that. Time for the Flint Michigan Mega Bowl.
Against all odds, and in his most desperate hour, Jackie Moon (with the help of his mother) and Clarence Withers AKA Downtown “Funky Stuff” Malone AKA Sugar Dunkerton AKA Coffee Black single-handedly revolutionize the game of basketball. And thus, the “alley oop” was born. That’s the gospel. It was a Godsend sent straight from the Heavens and oh my did it work out in the Flint’s favor. With a few clutch buckets Flint found themselves winning the Mega Bowl, and all was right in the world.
This movie is great. There aren’t a ton of basketball comedies, especially as colorful as this one. But unfortunately that wasn’t enough for this one. This movie could easily have been the best basketball movie ever made, but instead it’s just a great late-night comedy with a terrific ensemble cast. I give Semi-Pro an 81/100 and it kills me to do so. They just needed more. But regardless of all that, we’ll still gonna get tropical if you throw this baby on.
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