Underwhelming And Predictable

Rating: 3/10 (31 July 2013)

There are some good moments here, and the concept has potential; old time scout battling the new computer age. However, Clint Eastwood, as usual, is brutal as the central character. He has now turned completely into Grumpy Old Man, and hasn't departed from that role for several years; still whispering and squinting his eyes, and under-acting to the point of absurdity. At times, Eastwood barely seems alive on screen, an animated corpse whom the audience is supposed to love, in spite of his gruff, unemotional, unaffectionate personality.
Eastwood's unfriendly old man persona is just one of the clichéd, overdone aspects of this film. How many times has Hollywood featured an old guy that is too proud to admit an illness, unwilling to show his feelings for his children, and too stubborn to change his ways? Wouldn't it be refreshing if Hollywood produced a movie about an old guy who didn't cuss, wasn't angry, was emotional and affectionate to a fault with his family, was religious and not obsessed with sex and had no stubborn streak?
Other parts of this film revolve around the film industry's hackneyed political correctness. Gee, who could have predicted that the arrogant young prospect would be white? And who could have foreseen that the humble and lovable "peanut boy," as the white jerk hotshot derisively calls him, would be Hispanic? And, more importantly, be a truly super pitching prospect who humiliates the white jerk in his practice debut?
Amy Adams plays another oft-seen character, the strong, self-assured young woman who can outdo the boys at anything. It's actually amazing she didn't punch out at least one white guy during the film. If you enjoy the overrated Eastwood, you'll enjoy this film. If you have little patience with clichés, predictability and political correctness, you should look elsewhere for entertainment.