Movie Review: Ferrell Trots out Familiar Persona for ‘Semi-Pro’

By Christy Lemire

AP Movie Critic

Here’s how devoted Will Ferrell is to his craft: That ‘fro he rocks in “Semi-Pro”? It’s his real hair, the product of six months of work or neglect, depending on your perspective. The comedian can certainly be appreciated for his dedication, if not for his creativity. After all, you’ve seen this character before, this Jackie Moon, the owner-player-coach of the Flint, Mich., Tropics, a fledgling (and fictional) American Basketball Association team. It’s essentially the same self-serious, delusional guy Ferrell plays in almost every movie he’s made: Ron Burgundy in barely there polyester shorts; Ricky Bobby in nipple-clinging turtlenecks. It makes you wonder where else he can go with the persona: competitive Tiddlywinks, perhaps?  But Ferrell does go for it, and either you’re with him or you’re not. “Semi-Pro” is consistently funnier and more of a cohesive film, though, than the collection of gags that was “Blades of Glory.” And it has more than a few shadings of “Slap Shot,” “Major League” and even “Kingpin.” It’s that one-last-shot-at-glory premise not that the sports element truly matters in a sports movie like this. It’s really all about the silly vibe and the physical humor. (The script comes from Scot Armstrong, who has co-written such comedies as “Old School” and “Starsky & Hutch.”) The year is 1976, and Kent Alterman, a longtime New Line executive making his directing debut, wallows in the period kitsch. Leisure suits, bad mustaches, Sly & the Family Stone leave no cliche is left unturned. Jackie is trying to keep the Tropics alive as the NBA is about to absorb the four best teams from the ABA. (This actually happened, by the way: the Nets, Spurs, Pacers and Nuggets made the cut.)

Most of Jackie’s promotional ideas are just completely out there: leaping over a line of cheerleaders in roller skates and a cape; wrestling a live bear in a cage; dressing his teammates in flamingo and sea horse costumes for a halftime dance routine. He trades the team washing machine and brings in former Boston Celtics bench warmer Ed Monix (Woody Harrelson) to help his players, including the showboating Clarence “Coffee Black” Withers (Andre Benjamin). But Ed is also in Flint to rekindle a romance with his ex, played by Maura Tierney, whose new boyfriend (Rob Corddry) happens to be Ed’s biggest fan. Yes, all the usual suspects turn up in “Semi-Pro.” Besides Corddry, there’s David Koechner as the ABA commissioner, Will Arnett as the Tropics’ chain-smoking, Scotch-swilling color commentator and Andy Richter as the team manager. But there are also some inspired casting choices, including Andrew Daly as the team’s no-nonsense play-by-play guy and Matt Walsh as Father Pat, a Catholic priest who moonlights as a referee. Will Jackie lead his team to that coveted fourth-place spot? Will Ed get the girl? Does any of this matter? There are enough individual moments to keep you sufficiently distracted and laughing the whole way through. “Semi-Pro,” a New Line Cinema release, is rated R for language and some sexual content. Running time: 90 minutes.

Bass Becomes First Black Woman to Lead Assembly

SACRAMENTO (AP)— Los Angeles lawmaker Karen Bass was elected the next speaker of the state Assembly on Feb. 28, becoming the first black woman to lead either house of the Legislature.

Bass, 54, was elected to the 80-member chamber in 2004 and is known for writing legislation on child welfare and social justice issues. She also was one of the top supporters of Barack Obama’s campaign in California.

She will work alongside Speaker Fabian Nunez, also a Los Angeles Democrat, before making the full transition into the role later this year.

“This is an amazing, amazing moment,” Bass told her fellow Assembly members after the unanimous voice vote. “Thank you so much for your vote of faith and confidence in me as your next speaker. I am deeply honored and deeply humbled by the trust you have placed in me. I will work to be worthy of that trust every day I am speaker.”

Bass will become just the second black woman leading a state legislative chamber but the first with day-to-day responsibility, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Center for American Women and Politics at the State University of New Jersey.