Andrew Pace
Will Ferrell is an American actor and comedian known for his roles in several sports comedy films, including the basketball-themed movie Semi-Pro. Released in 2008, Semi-Pro stars Ferrell as Jackie Moon, the owner, coach, and player of a fictional American Basketball Association team called the Flint Tropics. The film follows Moon as he tries to lead his struggling team to the NBA, featuring a mix of comedy and basketball action. While the movie received generally negative reviews from critics, Ferrell's performance was praised, and the film has developed a cult following among fans of his unique brand of humour.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Film Name | Semi-Pro |
| Genre | Comedy, Sport |
| Release Date | 2008 |
| Runtime | 1h 31m |
| Rating | R |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score | 23% |
| Metacritic Score | 47/100 |
| Opening Weekend Gross | $15 million |
| Worldwide Gross | $43,884,904 |
| Will Ferrell's Character | Jackie Moon |
| Plot | Owner-coach-player of a basketball team rallies teammates to make their NBA dreams come true |
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What You'll Learn
Will Ferrell's performance in Semi-Pro
In Semi-Pro, Will Ferrell stars as Jackie Moon, a singer who uses the profits from his only hit single to purchase a basketball team, the Flint Michigan Tropics. The team is the worst in the league, and the franchise is under threat of folding when the ABA and NBA announce plans to merge. It's up to Jackie to turn the team around and save the franchise.
Ferrell's performance in Semi-Pro received mixed reviews. While some viewers found the film hilarious and praised Ferrell's performance, others were less impressed, with some critics describing the film as one of Ferrell's "weaker cinematic efforts". Peter Travers of Rolling Stone wrote that "when the script, by Scott Armstrong, shoots air balls, Ferrell is a slam-dunk." Similarly, Claudia Puig of USA Today commented that "although not exactly a slam dunk, Semi-Pro is definitely more than semi-funny."
In addition to his acting, Ferrell also performed a stunt in the film, wrestling a 700-pound grizzly bear. However, this scene ended in tragedy when the bear bit and killed one of the stunt crew members.
Despite the mixed reviews of his performance, Semi-Pro grossed $15 million in its opening weekend in the United States and Canada, holding the number-one position at the box office. However, the film ultimately failed to make back its $55 million budget.
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$14.99
Jackie Moon and the Flint Tropics
In the 2008 sports comedy film Semi-Pro, Will Ferrell stars as Jackie Moon, the owner, head coach, and player of the fictional American Basketball Association (ABA) team, the Flint Tropics. The film is set during the final season of the ABA and tells the story of the Flint Tropics, a failing basketball team desperate to survive the league's merger with the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Jackie Moon is a singer and one-hit-wonder, famous for the disco hit "Love Me Sexy", which he used the profits from to buy the Flint Tropics basketball team. The team is based in Flint, Michigan, and in the film, it is the year 1976, the height of disco. The Flint Tropics are the worst team in the ABA league and are in danger of dissolving following the announcement of the league's merger with the NBA.
Jackie Moon is a showman who provides the citizens of Flint with a glimmer of hope. He is also married to Stacey, a very attractive Flint Tropics ball girl, with whom he has an open relationship. To boost attendance at the team's games, Jackie Moon engages in wacky promotions, such as wrestling a bear, jumping over 47 feet of ball girls on roller skates, and providing free corn dogs if the Tropics score 125 points.
The cast of Semi-Pro also includes Woody Harrelson as Ed Monix, an aging point guard and former NBA Champion; André Benjamin as Clarence Withers, who dreams of playing in the NBA; and Maura Tierney as Lynn, Ed Monix's love interest. Despite the generally negative reviews the film received, Ferrell's performance was praised.
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Semi-Pro's critical reception
The 2008 sports comedy film Semi-Pro received generally negative reviews from critics. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval score of 22-23% based on 160-161 reviews, with an average rating of 4.5/10. The critical consensus on the site describes the film as an "intermittently funny, half-hearted attempt at sports satire, and one of Will Ferrell's weaker cinematic efforts". On Metacritic, the film scored an average of 47 out of 100 based on 29 reviews.
Alicia Chang of the Associated Press described the opening as "lacklustre" compared to Ferrell's previous sports spoofs Talladega Nights and Blades of Glory, which opened with $47 million and $33 million, respectively. Chang also noted that Semi-Pro's opening weekend grossed $15 million in 3,121 theatres in the US and Canada, reaching number one at the box office. The film went on to gross $33,479,698 domestically and $10,405,206 internationally, for a worldwide total of $43,884,904.
While Ferrell's performance received praise, critics were less than impressed with the script. One review noted that Ferrell was "on top form" in the movie, but that his character could have been developed further. Another review stated that the film "should have been a great deal funnier", adding that it felt like something they had "seen several times already". Other reviews described the film as "ho-hum" and "sadly [...] done better".
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The film's soundtrack
The 2008 sports comedy film Semi-Pro starring Will Ferrell features a groovy soundtrack that will take you back to the 70s. The movie, which is set during the final season of the American Basketball Association, showcases a mix of soul, funk, and disco hits that perfectly complement the on-screen action and add to the overall fun and nostalgic vibe of the film.
The soundtrack, released on February 26, 2008, includes 21 songs and features a range of artists, with some of the biggest names in music from the era. One of the most notable tracks is "Love Me Sexy," written by Nile Rodgers, Scot Armstrong, and Will Ferrell himself, who also performs it in character as Jackie Moon. The song is a disco hit that Moon's character uses the profits from to buy a basketball team in the film.
Other standout songs include "Get Da Funk out Ma' Face" by The Brothers Johnson, "Lady Marmalade" by Labelle, "World Is a Ghetto, The" by WAR & Dream, "Tell Me Something Good" by Ronnie Laws, and "Mr. Big Stuff" by Jean Knight. The soundtrack also features "Give Me Just a Little More Time" by Chairmen of the Board, "Why Can't We Be Friends" by WAR & Dream, "Walking in Rhythm" by The Blackbyrds, and "Dance to the Music" by Sly & the Family Stone.
The Semi-Pro soundtrack is a fun and eclectic mix of 70s grooves that capture the spirit of the era and the film. It is a must-listen for fans of old-school funk, soul, and disco, and anyone looking to relive the groovy vibes of the 1970s.
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The bear wrestling scene
In the 2008 sports comedy film Semi-Pro, Will Ferrell's character, Jackie Moon, owner-coach-player of the fictional American Basketball Association team Flint Michigan Tropics, wrestles a bear. The scene was filmed in a gym in Los Angeles, with Ferrell's stunt double Randy Miller filling in for him during the wrestling match with the bear. The bear, a 5-year-old, 7.5-foot-tall, 700-pound male grizzly named Rocky, was trained by Randy Miller and his cousin Stephan Miller.
In the scene, Jackie Moon wrestles Rocky inside a raised platform cage, similar to a boxing ring, in the middle of a basketball court. The few cast and crew members who were needed on set were kept at a safe distance from the live bear, and a remote camera was used to film the scene. A "hotline" fence surrounded the platform, and mannequins were used in place of people in the stands. For the portion of the scene in which Jackie throws punches near the bear's face, the costumed head trainer stood in for the actor, and a hotline was placed between the trainer and the bear.
The bear was cued by the trainer to open its mouth and was rewarded after each action. When the actor appears to slap the bear's face, the trainer stood in and pantomimed the slap without making contact. The trainers rehearsed with the bear for several weeks before filming. For the wrestling portion, the hotline was removed, and the bear was cued to mouth the costumed trainer's wig and shoulder. The head trainer and the bear were accustomed to this playful wrestling, and when the trainer fell to the ground in a choreographed fall, the bear "fell" on top of him and continued play-wrestling. After the scene was filmed, the trainer cued the bear to walk down the platform's stairs and return to his holding cage.
Tragically, seven weeks after the film's release, Rocky the bear killed Stephan Miller by biting him on the neck. Three experienced handlers were working with the bear at the Predators in Action wild animal training center when the attack occurred. Pepper spray was used to subdue and contain Rocky, and there were no other injuries. Paramedics were unable to revive Stephan Miller.
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Frequently asked questions
The name of the basketball movie starring Will Ferrell is 'Semi-Pro'.
'Semi-Pro' is a sports comedy film set during the final season of the American Basketball Association. The film follows Jackie Moon, the owner-coach-player of the fictional ABA team the Flint Tropics, who rallies his teammates to make their NBA dreams come true.
Will Ferrell's character's name in 'Semi-Pro' is Jackie Moon.
