This is a goofy Will Ferrell film. Not surprisingly, it's a rather conventional movie compared to many of his later films. Clearly this is NOT another "Talladega Nights" or "Stepbrothers". This isn't necessarily a complaint--just an observation that it's a relatively normal plot. At least, normal for a Will Ferrell film.
Ferrell plays a guy who is ALWAYS being put down by his hyper-competitive father (Robert Duvall--who is very reminiscent of the Great Santini in this role). It nags at Ferrell but he seems to have accepted this. However, when the job of coaching a kids soccer team is thrust upon him, his competitiveness comes out--since the best team in the league is coached by his awful father. Oddly, Ferrell is able to get some help from a guy who hates Duvall even more....coach Mike Ditka--who is pretty funny in this very off-beat role.
The first 75% of the film is pretty conventional. It's pure sports formula. However, due to the miracle of coffee (something Ferrell's character never drank before), much of the last 25% is amazingly weird--much weirder than films like "Lady Bugs" (a soccer film with Rodney Dangerfield) or "The Bad News Bears". In fact, this portion is the best part of the movie because it stops being so formulaic...for a while. However, at no point do you forget exactly how this film MUST end! So is it a great film...absolutely not. But it is quite enjoyable and worth seeing due to its goofiness. Not great but a decent little film.
Ferrell plays a guy who is ALWAYS being put down by his hyper-competitive father (Robert Duvall--who is very reminiscent of the Great Santini in this role). It nags at Ferrell but he seems to have accepted this. However, when the job of coaching a kids soccer team is thrust upon him, his competitiveness comes out--since the best team in the league is coached by his awful father. Oddly, Ferrell is able to get some help from a guy who hates Duvall even more....coach Mike Ditka--who is pretty funny in this very off-beat role.
The first 75% of the film is pretty conventional. It's pure sports formula. However, due to the miracle of coffee (something Ferrell's character never drank before), much of the last 25% is amazingly weird--much weirder than films like "Lady Bugs" (a soccer film with Rodney Dangerfield) or "The Bad News Bears". In fact, this portion is the best part of the movie because it stops being so formulaic...for a while. However, at no point do you forget exactly how this film MUST end! So is it a great film...absolutely not. But it is quite enjoyable and worth seeing due to its goofiness. Not great but a decent little film.