Beer League

If I were to say the movie was just OK than you would probably tell me that this is boring review and I don't blame you. But I have to say, seriously though, it was just OK. Not going to be on Roeper's 2006 picks, but good enough for a Sunday afternoon on Showtime. If you go see it, I would recommend this to put you in the right spirit; alcohol and a packed theatre. The movie is funny but not clever. You definitely need a little something to wash it down with. There's a lot of bad herpes jokes, guys calling each other fags, and a painfully bad callback involving a guy vomiting. The jokes are abundant though and for every miss there's a solid hit or two.

My major complaint with the movie is the sense that it was missing something or parts where I felt there was missed opportunity. Every scene seemed to play like the next and I think it would have been cool to see something that was set apart and memorable. For example a fantasy/dream/passout sequence with Artie in a major league game with bikini chicks handing him beers at the plate and one of the Yankee's pitching to him, but it's a softball. I don't know, something like that. If not that, they could of had a really good crazy prank scene somewhere in the half way through to take you away from the main plot for 5 minutes. Along the lines of the horse in the deans office in Animal House, or the police car in American Graffiti. Just something to contrast with Italians tossing around softballs and drinking in a bar.

As for Artie, he was great for the role of "Artie" and after 20 minutes you easy got lost in the character, forgetting the Stern show aspect. Forgetting of course they named the character Artie, gave him a girlfriend who he can't commit to, had him drink too much, smoke too much, and have issues with his father's death. Nice Stretch. Why not give him a Sirius t-shirt?

It's amazing when people get on a website and rip a movie like "Beer League" as if they were expecting "Citizen Kane" when they went to the movies. Beer League involves the heated rivalry between two men's softball teams in New Jersey; Ed's Beer and Swill (featuring Artie Lange, Ralph Macchio and assorted others) and Manganelli Fitness, a four time league champion. After yet another collective trip to the police station following a brawl, it is decided the team with the worst record between the two at season's end will be thrown out of the league. Lange & Company band together and show resolve to reach the title game vs. Manganelli. Guess who wins?

I thought the movie was funny- even hilarious in spots. Beer League never tries to be anything other than what it is; a bawdy comedy with plenty of crude humor, sexual misconduct and vulgarity. Little was required in the acting department, as Lange is essentially playing himself. Fans of his stand-up act and Howard Stern appearances will not be disappointed. There are welcome cameos by Sopranos bit player Frank Pellegrino and series regular Joseph Gannascoli. And Seymour Cassel turns in a great performance as the team's old, foul-mouthed pitcher, Dirt.

Lange's real life drug and alcohol use- parodied and boasted about in nearly everything he does- will hopefully not have tragic consequences as it has for so many others in the world of comedy. This movie works, however, and is good for a few belly laughs along the way.

This movie was funny from beginning to end (and I am not a Howard Stern fan). Everyone has different tastes but after reading some other comments I have to ask one question. What would you expect from an Artie Lange movie!?! This isn't aimed at the Fraser Crain's of the world. It's aimed at normal everyday people who don't take themselves too seriously and don't have to over analyze every movie they see. Yes it's dirty and vulgar and full of penis jokes but it somehow still ends up being a very cute movie. It will win no awards for a suspenseful plot and there were no surprises but I thought the comedic acting was fabulous and the dialog very funny. Basically, if you don't have a stick up your butt you will probably like it and you will have a smile on your face when it's over.

It's no Gone with the Wind, but I seriously hardly stopped laughing the entire movie!!! Artie is hilarious, and even the Karate Kid turns in an amusing performance. The best comedy I've seen this year. More genuinely funny moments than Talledaga Nights and Click combined!!! The old dude Seymore Cassel steals nearly every scene he's in and is hilarious. Artie really kills playing a character very similar to himself. No need to be a Stern fan to see this movie. Artie steps out of the shadow of the big guy with an incredibly funny and sincere performance. If you want to laugh you butt off this is the movie to see!!!

I'm a huge Howard Stern fan, and I've been excited to see this movie since I first heard Artie talking about it on the Stern show. I was not expecting much out of this movie - just a stupid movie with some good laughs. But this film fell far short of my already very low expectations. There were plot lines within plot lines within plot lines - each one slowing down any kind of flow the movie tried to catch. When the softball part started to get somewhat interesting, the love story would bog it down. Artie tried to do a John Candy and be the farcical yet believable character - but he just did a bunch of Artie-shtick. He really was not able to carry this movie. It was kind of a fun movie, but even the fun scenes such as the bachelor party felt like a drag - clumsily staged and just awkward. Ralph Maccio rocked. Hopefully he will get in more movies from doing this one. The enemy antagonist was good at his role, but it was just too unbelievable. This guy has the best softball team, owns the best gym, AND is running for mayor? All of these different plot lines began to give me a headache and made me look at my watch waiting for the end. There are some good laughs, but we get mostly one liners here. In fairness, I should add that my friend who saw it with me has never listened to the Stern show and liked the movie a lot better than I did. This is a good TV movie or Netflix movie, but I wouldn't recommend seeing it in the theaters.