Same old story

Rating: 5/10 (7 December 2000)

How many times is Hollywood going to keep presenting us with the same story? This movie is a remake of Major League, except with football players. You start out with the same goofy scenes of out of place, hardly athletes who couldn't make it in the pros and now have some other type of job. (Along with the token law breaker who has jut gotten out of prison.) They all fall into typical movie stereotypes. Yawn. Add that to the token has been (played by Keanu Reeves) who blew it in a game many years ago and refuses to get back into the sport, despite Gene Hackman's convincing argument. Oh no, he is content instead to sit on his fishing boat and wallow in misery. We've all seen this story before. Of course he changes his mind. Now this group of merry thieves is going to band together, play football, and save the day, despite the antics of the striking 'real' football players. Yawn again. This movie might've been better off a Movie of the Week.
This movie is mildly humorous at times, but the problem is that there isn't anything new here. Keanu is a shrewd businessman, getting 12 million to make this middle of the road comedy. Why Gene Hackman and Jon Favreau decided to sign up is beyond me. I wouldn't recommend this at all unless you have absolutely nothing better to do. As for me, I was stuck on a plane, so I watched it until the grueling end.