47
Metascore
29 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 70VarietyJoe LeydonVarietyJoe LeydonVery much in the tradition of "Slap Shot," George Roy Hill's raucously funny and foul-mouthed 1977 laffer about the misadventures of a minor-league hockey team, Semi-Pro scores big laughs with the rowdy play-by-play of hard-luck hoopsters struggling for professional survival.
- 60Village VoiceVillage VoiceWhat at least distinguishes Semi-Pro from its predecessors (not only those starring Ferrell, but also such lesser lights as "Dodgeball" and "Balls of Fury") is that it's a slightly darker movie--one made for grown-ups, hence the R rating.
- 60The Hollywood ReporterKirk HoneycuttThe Hollywood ReporterKirk HoneycuttThe comedy is sloppy, crude and contains far too many misfires, but the film does capture the old ABA spirit in its ungainly struggles to wrestle laughs from seriously mediocre material.
- 58The A.V. ClubNathan RabinThe A.V. ClubNathan RabinDeserves credit for attempting something more emotional and dramatic than the typical Ferrell gagfest, but Harrelson and Benjamin's earnest subplots cost the film comic momentum and big laughs without adding much in return.
- 50ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliInstead of a satire, they give us a tired, tedious victory-for-the-underdog story, and the unevenness of Ferrell's comedy makes it less appealing.
- 42Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle Post-IntelligencerSemi-Pro is the perfect name for this movie, because it feels like a half-baked comedy made by semi-professionals.
- 40Washington PostDesson ThomsonWashington PostDesson ThomsonAndre Benjamin, Woody Harrelson, Maura Tierney and David Koechner -- all talented -- seem amazingly zombie-like here. And Jackie Earle Haley, as a stoner fan of the Tropics, is more disconcerting than funny.
- 38Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsChicago TribuneMichael PhillipsThe court scenes are rarely funny, either in the trash talk or the slapstick.
- 38Charlotte ObserverLawrence ToppmanCharlotte ObserverLawrence ToppmanJust Will Ferrell doing the same man-boy shtick he usually does.
- 20Austin ChronicleAustin ChronicleBut basketball … basketball doesn’t deserve the Ferrell treatment. Basketball is a sport of kings, a thing of beauty and elegance, America’s game. Which doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be mocked but that if it must be mocked it deserves to be mocked well, and Semi-Pro, unfortunately, isn’t up to the challenge.