Andrew Pace
Will Ferrell stars in the 2008 sports comedy film 'Semi-Pro', alongside Woody Harrelson, Andre Benjamin, and Maura Tierney. The film is set during the final season of the American Basketball Association and follows Jackie Moon, a one-hit-wonder singer who buys a basketball team. The film received mixed reviews, with some praising Ferrell's performance and others criticising the script.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Film Title | Semi-Pro |
| Genre | Sports Comedy |
| Year of Release | 2008 |
| Director | Kent Alterman |
| Writer | Scot Armstrong |
| Producer | Jimmy Miller |
| Starring | Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, André 3000 (credited as André Benjamin), Maura Tierney |
| Plot | Set during the final season of the American Basketball Association, the film tells the story of a fictional ABA team desperate to survive the league's merger with the NBA. |
| Filming Locations | Los Angeles, Detroit, and Flint, Michigan |
| Release Date | February 19, 2008 |
| DVD and Blu-ray Release | June 3, 2008 |
| Runtime | 1 hour 31 minutes |
| Rating | R |
| Gross Earnings | $43,884,904 worldwide |
| Critical Reception | Generally negative reviews, with an approval score of 23% on Rotten Tomatoes and an average score of 47 out of 100 on Metacritic |
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What You'll Learn
Semi-Pro's critical reception
The 2008 sports comedy film Semi-Pro received generally negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has 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." Similarly, Metacritic reported an average score of 47 out of 100, based on 29 reviews.
Many critics considered the film's script to be lacking, with one review stating that writer Scot Armstrong "really dropped the ball after coming up with what looks like a funny premise." The review also criticised first-time director Kent Alterman for providing "very little direction" and allowing Ferrell to "ape at will for the camera". However, Ferrell's performance in the film received praise, with some reviews stating that he was the only cast member who could raise a laugh.
While some viewers found the film genuinely funny, others were disappointed, feeling that it could have been much funnier. Several reviews compared Semi-Pro unfavourably to Ferrell's previous films, such as Anchorman, Blades of Glory, and Talladega Nights, with one review stating that the Super Bowl ads for the film were "much funnier" than the film itself.
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Will Ferrell's performance
Ferrell's performance has been described as being "on top form", with one review stating that "when Will Ferrell is off the screen, the film starts to take itself too seriously and you're just wanting Will to come back on the screen and do something funny". Another review states that Ferrell is "hilarious", and that the film is "right up there with Anchorman and Talladega Nights".
In addition to his acting, Ferrell also performed the song "Love Me Sexy" in character as Jackie Moon, and appeared in advertisements for Anheuser-Busch and Old Spice deodorant in character.
Semi-Pro also features a scene in which Ferrell's character wrestles a grizzly bear to promote his basketball team. This scene was performed by Randy Miller, Ferrell's stunt double, who also trained the bear. Tragically, the bear killed Stephan Miller, Randy Miller's cousin and fellow trainer, by biting him on the neck.
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The film's financial success
The 2008 sports comedy film Semi-Pro, starring Will Ferrell, was financed by New Line for $57 million. The film received additional capital from the Royal Bank of Scotland, which had set up a $350 million fund with New Line in January 2007 to invest in their films. In its opening weekend, the film grossed $15 million in 3,121 theatres across the United States and Canada, ranking first at the box office. However, the film received mostly negative reviews from critics, with an approval score of 23% on Rotten Tomatoes and an average score of 47 out of 100 on Metacritic. Despite the criticism, the film went on to gross $33,479,698 domestically and $10,405,206 internationally, totalling $43,884,904 worldwide.
Semi-Pro's box office performance was notably lower than that of Ferrell's previous sports comedy films, Talladega Nights, which opened with $47 million, and Blades of Glory, which opened with $33 million. The film's production company, New Line, was facing financial struggles and had high expectations for Semi-Pro to be a financial success. However, the film's critical reception and box office performance fell short of expectations.
Despite the mixed reviews, Semi-Pro benefited from a substantial marketing campaign and product placements. Will Ferrell appeared in character as Jackie Moon in commercials for Old Spice and Bud Light, and the film partnered with Anheuser-Busch for Super Bowl XLII ads. Additionally, a music video was released featuring Ferrell as Jackie Moon singing "Love Me Sexy," and an official Jackie Moon Semi-Pro costume was released for Halloween in 2008.
Although Semi-Pro underperformed compared to Ferrell's previous sports comedies, it still managed to turn a profit and contribute to the struggling New Line's finances. The film's worldwide gross of over $43 million helped offset its $57 million production budget, and it likely benefited from additional revenue streams, such as home video sales and distribution deals.
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The film's soundtrack
The 2008 American sports comedy film Semi-Pro, starring Will Ferrell, features a soundtrack with 14 songs released on February 26, 2008. The soundtrack includes songs by various artists, including LaBelle, WAR, and Curtis Mayfield. One of the notable songs on the soundtrack is "Love Me Sexy," written and performed by Will Ferrell (as his character Jackie Moon) in the film. The song was also released as a music video, with Ferrell appearing in character.
"Love Me Sexy" was written by Nile Rodgers, Scot Armstrong, and Will Ferrell, and produced by Nile Rodgers. The song is presented as Jackie Moon's "hit" single, which he uses to launch his basketball team, the Flint Michigan Tropics. The team is the worst in the league, and the film follows Moon's attempts to promote them and keep the franchise alive.
The Semi-Pro soundtrack also includes songs by other artists, such as "Why Can't We Be Friends" by WAR and "Get Down Tonight" by K.C. & The Sunshine Band. The soundtrack captures the fun and energy of the film, with a mix of upbeat and groovy tracks that complement the comedic tone of the movie.
Overall, the Semi-Pro soundtrack contributes to the entertainment value of the film, providing a selection of songs that enhance the viewing experience and offer a glimpse into the world of 1970s basketball culture, which is the setting of the movie. The soundtrack album was released by New Line Home Entertainment and is available on various music platforms.
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The bear wrestling scene
In the 2008 sports comedy film "Semi-Pro", Will Ferrell's character Jackie Moon, the owner-coach-player of the American Basketball Association's Flint Michigan Tropics, wrestles a bear to promote his basketball team. The scene was filmed in a cage on a platform in the middle of a basketball court. An animatronic bear or a man in a bear suit was used when the bear was shown next to the actors. Ferrell's stunt double, Randy Miller, filled in for him during the portions of the scene that used a live bear.
The bear, a 5-year-old, 7 and a half-foot-tall, 700-pound male grizzly bear named Rocky, was trained to follow cues. During the scene, the head trainer stood just off-camera and cued Rocky to perform actions such as sitting up and standing up. When Jackie appears to slap the bear's face, the trainer stood in and pantomimed the slap without making contact. For the wrestling portion, the hotline was removed, and the bear was cued to mouth the costumed trainer's wig and shoulder. The trainer and the bear were accustomed to this playful wrestling, and the trainer even fell to the ground in a choreographed fall, with the bear falling on top of him and continuing to play-wrestle.
Tragically, despite the extensive safety precautions, Rocky killed one of his trainers, Stephan Miller, the cousin of Randy Miller, by biting him on the neck. This occurred during a training session at the Predators in Action wild animal training center in the San Bernardino Mountains, where the bear was housed along with another grizzly bear.
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Frequently asked questions
The name of the Will Ferrell basketball film is 'Semi-Pro'.
Semi-Pro is about a one-hit-wonder singer, Jackie Moon, who uses the profits from his only hit single to buy a basketball team, the Flint Michigan Tropics, the worst team in the league.
Semi-Pro received generally negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval score of 23% based on 160 reviews, with an average rating of 4.5/10.
