Will Ferrell is a comedy all-star, the equivalent of a Larry Bird in my opinion. He’s a go-to guy when you need a comedic hit, but even Bird missed once in a while and he didn’t win an NBA title every time he laced them up either. Ferrell has a string of hits under his belt, but for every “Anchorman,” or “Blades of Glory,” there is a “Kicking and Screaming” and, now, a “Semi-Pro.”

The film deals with the real merging of the American Basketball Association with the NBA through the eyes of the fictional Flint Tropics. Ferrell plays Jackie Moon, the player/coach/owner of the Tropics, but there isn’t much to the buffoon of a character other than his crazy hair and fashion sense. The Tropics are a bunch of misfits, more interested in fighting during the game and enjoying parties afterwards than playing good ball, and they are on the chopping block. There is a chance they can make the merge, if they can get into fourth place, and that’s what the team shoots for.

This is a really boring comedy and there are few laughs. Ferrell seems like he is rehashing several roles in the film and has nothing really funny to say or even a funny way to say it. His teammates are even less amusing and have no personality. (Note to the makers of this film, next time you’re making a sports comedy, rent “Major League” and remember that everyone needs at least some personality, i.e., snob, voodoo practicer, parolee). Some key members of the team are Coffee Black, played by Atlanta’s own Andre 3000, and Ed Monix, played by Woody Harrelson with bad hair and a lame romantic subplot with an underused Maura Tierney and Rob Corrdry. Andy Richter was also horribly underused (can’t this guy ever catch a break?).

The bright spots in the film were Will Arnett and Andrew Daly as the game announcers for the Tropics. Arnett plays a misanthropic alcoholic, ex-player, color commentator and Daly plays the straight-laced, nebbishy, play-by-play guy. Daly gets off some of the best lines in the film and his career, which includes a lot of voice work, pays off as he nails the voice of low-on-the-totem-pole sportscaster.

“Semi-Pro” is just a huge disappointment though. It was written by Scot Armstrong, who had a hot hand with “Road Trip” and “Old School” but cooled off considerably with “Starsky and Hutch,” “School for Scoundrels,” “The Heartbreak Kid,” and now this film. This was director Kent Alterman’s debut and it shows. There were funny set-ups throughout but few payoffs. Although he surrounded himself with a good cast, there was nothing for them to do. To extend a basketball analogy, to win a title, you need a good team. Michael Jordan needed Scottie Pippen, Toni Kucoc and Steve Kerr and Ferrell could have used a bigger boost from his co-stars and the screenwriter.

**

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