Amanda Knapp
Will Ferrell is an American actor and comedian, known for his roles in a variety of comedy films. In 2008, Ferrell starred in the sports comedy film 'Semi-Pro', alongside Woody Harrelson, André Benjamin, and Maura Tierney. The film is set during the final season of the American Basketball Association and follows the story of a fictional ABA team, the Flint Tropics, as they strive to survive the league's merger with the NBA. Ferrell's character, Jackie Moon, is a one-hit-wonder-turned-basketball-team-owner who steps up to play power forward and even wrestles a bear to promote his team. While the film received generally negative reviews from critics, Ferrell's performance was praised.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Film Name | Semi-Pro |
| Genre | Comedy, Sport |
| Year | 2008 |
| Director | Kent Alterman |
| Writer | Scot Armstrong |
| Producer | Jimmy Miller |
| Starring | Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, André 3000/André Benjamin, Maura Tierney |
| Will Ferrell's Character | Jackie Moon, the owner-player-coach of the Flint Tropics |
| Rotten Tomatoes Score | 23% |
| Worldwide Gross | $43,884,904 |
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What You'll Learn
Will Ferrell's performance in Semi-Pro
In the film, Ferrell plays Jackie Moon, the owner-player-coach of the fictional Flint Tropics basketball team. The film is set during the final season of the American Basketball Association and tells the story of the team's struggle to survive the league's merger with the NBA. Ferrell's character is famous for the ageing disco hit "Love Me Sexy", written by Nile Rodgers. In one scene, he wrestles a 7-foot-tall grizzly bear to promote his team. Randy Miller doubled for Ferrell during this scene.
Despite the mixed reviews of the film, Ferrell's performance was considered by some to be one of his better performances. One review on Reddit states that "Semi-Pro actually has some of the best scenes out of all of his movies from that era". However, another review on the same platform suggests that the film's poor performance may be due to "Ferrell fatigue", as Ferrell was in a lot of movies at the time.
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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 team desperate to survive the league's merger with the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Jackie Moon is a singer who used the profits from his one-hit-wonder, "Love Me Sexy", to buy the Flint Tropics in 1976. The team is all but broke, and Jackie puts most of his energy into boosting attendance with wacky promotions, including wrestling a bear, jumping over 47 feet of ball girls on roller skates, and providing free corn dogs if the Tropics score 125 points. Jackie is also the team's starting power forward and pre-game announcer.
At a team owner's meeting, the ABA Commissioner announces a plan to merge the league with the NBA, but only four teams will move to the more established league. The Tropics, the worst team in the league, are in danger of dissolving. Jackie argues that the teams with the four best records should be merged, and the Commissioner accepts. To improve the team, Jackie trades the team's washing machine to the Kentucky Colonels for Ed Monix, a backup point guard who won an NBA Championship with the Boston Celtics but did not play during the playoffs. The Commissioner reveals that in addition to finishing in the top four, the Tropics will also need at least 2,000 fans at every remaining home game.
With Monix's training and the increased intensity of Clarence Withers, the Tropics' best player, the team goes on a winning run, moving from last to fifth place. However, the NBA does not think that Flint has a large enough media market and will not allow the Tropics into the league even if they beat the first-place San Antonio Spurs in the last game of the season. Jackie trades Withers to the Spurs so that he may realize his dream of playing in the NBA. Monix reassembles and inspires the team to leave everything on the court, and the Tropics finish the season in fifth place.
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Semi-Pro's critical reception
Will Ferrell's 2008 basketball comedy Semi-Pro received generally negative reviews from critics. The film has a 23% approval score on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 4.5/10. Metacritic reported an average score of 47 out of 100, based on 29 reviews. Critics described the film as "intermittently funny" and a "half-hearted attempt at sports satire".
Despite the poor critical reception, some viewers have expressed their enjoyment of the film on forums such as Reddit and Amazon. One Reddit user described the film as "great comedy I don't hear talked about often", while another said it was "more than semi-funny". Similarly, an Amazon customer called it a "sehr lustige Komodie" (a very funny comedy).
Some critics did praise Ferrell's performance, with Peter Travers of Rolling Stone saying that "when the script [...] shoots air balls, Ferrell is a slam dunk". However, the script was widely criticised, with one review on Amazon stating that "the script is bad, the film tries to be funny, but it doesn't succeed".
Semi-Pro was also a commercial failure, earning just over $43 million on an estimated $55 million budget. Due to its poor reception, a sequel is unlikely. However, the character of Jackie Moon has endured as a favourite for Ferrell, who appeared in character at an NBA game in 2022.
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The film's soundtrack
The 2008 sports comedy film Semi-Pro stars Will Ferrell as Jackie Moon, a one-hit wonder who uses the profits from his song "Love Me Sexy" to buy a basketball team. The soundtrack, released on February 26, 2008, features classic 70s funk hits from artists like LaBelle, WAR, Curtis Mayfield, and Sly and the Family Stone. It also includes a funky song performed by Will Ferrell himself, his character's "hit" song "Love Me Sexy".
The film is set in 1976 during the final season of the American Basketball Association and follows the fictional ABA team, the Flint Michigan Tropics, as they try to survive the league's merger with the NBA. The soundtrack reflects the film's 70s setting with classic funk and soul hits from the era.
- "Love Me Sexy" by Jackie Moon (Will Ferrell)
- "Get Da Funk out Ma' Face" by The Brothers Johnson
- "Lady Marmalade" by LaBelle
- "The World Is a Ghetto" by WAR & Dream
- "Tell Me Something Good" by Ronnie Laws
- "Mr. Big Stuff" by Jean Knight
- "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
- "Dance to the Music" by Sly & the Family Stone
- "Love Rollercoaster" by The Ohio Players
- "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)" by Sly & the Family Stone
- "Move on Up" by Curtis Mayfield
- "Shining Star" by Elijah Kelley
The Semi-Pro soundtrack received positive reviews, with one Amazon customer praising it as a "successful online purchase" due to the inclusion of "oldies" music from the 70s, as well as Ferrell's funky song. Another reviewer on Amazon called the soundtrack "worth it", specifically mentioning the scene where Ferrell sings along to "Get the Funk Out Ma Face" by The Brothers Johnson.
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The bear wrestling scene
In the 2008 comedy film Semi-Pro, Will Ferrell's character, Jackie Moon, wrestles a bear. The scene takes place on a basketball court, inside a raised platform cage similar to a boxing ring. The bear, named Rocky, was a 5-year-old, 7 and a half-foot-tall, 700-pound male grizzly bear.
In the film, Jackie Moon is the owner, head coach, and player of the American Basketball Association's Flint Michigan Tropics. When the ABA announces that they are merging with the NBA, Jackie Moon comes up with various stunts to raise attendance and promote his team, including wrestling a bear.
For the scene, stuntman and trainer Randy Miller doubled for Ferrell during the wrestling match with the bear. The bear was trained by Randy Miller and his cousin, Stephan Miller, who owned the "Predators in Action" wild animal training center. The bear obediently followed cues during the scene, which made its subsequent killing of Stephan Miller with a bite to the neck all the more stunning. Three experienced handlers were working with the bear at the time of the attack, and pepper spray was used to subdue and contain the bear.
During the filming of the scene, anytime the bear was shown next to the actors, it was actually an animatronic bear or a man in a bear suit. A stuntman filled in for Ferrell during any portion of the wrestling scene that used a live bear. When the actor appears to slap the bear's face, the trainer stood in and pantomimed the slap without making contact. Trainers rehearsed with the bear for several weeks before filming. For the wrestling portion of the scene, the bear was cued to mouth the costumed trainer's wig and shoulder.
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Frequently asked questions
The name of the basketball movie starring Will Ferrell is 'Semi-Pro'.
'Semi-Pro' is about a one-hit-wonder-turned-basketball-team owner who steps up to play power forward. The film is set during the final season of the American Basketball Association and tells the story of a fictional ABA team desperate to survive the league's merger with the NBA.
The cast of 'Semi-Pro' includes Woody Harrelson, Andre Benjamin, Maura Tierney, Will Arnett, David Koechner, Andy Richter, Rob Corddry, DeRay Davis, and more.
Will Ferrell's character's name in 'Semi-Pro' is Jackie Moon.
