Sweet Dreams

I was looking for something light-hearted and entertaining to watch. Maybe with a few feels and some laughs. The trailer made me think of Major League but toned down and a little more staid. It was not that at all but am very glad of it.

I got a lot more. It turns out Johnny Knoxville can turn in a very good performance. Coupled with a great supporting cast that seemed to be directed almost as if ad-libbed. The scripting and end result is great.

Knoxville plays Morris, who we find staying at a rehabilitation house attempting to get his life back by way of coaching his fellow housemates in a softball competition. The comedy is balanced well with the serious side of addiction, with a group of diverse but relatable characters. The result is a far more realistic portrayal of recovery without becoming overly dark. I never once thought it was depressing but, through my own experiences, never felt the subject was treated with anything but respect and honesty.

This one surprised me. Not what I was expecting but am very glad I found it.

I wasn't expecting a Jackass movie but I also wasn't expecting Johnny Knoxville to act as well as he did either. This movie was a lot better than I expected.

I wasn't expecting a Jackass movie but I also wasn't expecting Johnny Knoxville to act as well as he did either. This movie was a lot better than I expected.

I wasn't expecting a Jackass movie but I also wasn't expecting Johnny Knoxville to act as well as he did either. This movie was a lot better than I expected.

I wasn't expecting a Jackass movie but I also wasn't expecting Johnny Knoxville to act as well as he did either. This movie was a lot better than I expected.

Man, this flick is getting too low ratings. It's a really warm and believable hour and a half with mostly good acting. Never too much and never boring. I'd actually like it to be a bit longer, that's how much I enjoyed it!

Knoxville does an excellent job and you can really feel the pains he's going through every time he tears up about how he's mistreated his 8 year old daughter. Other fun characters are played by Theo von and Bobby Lee, although Lee is probably the weakest link in the movie, yet he still manages to be quite entertaining. Honorable mentions are Mohammed Amer and Jay Mohr who deliver really solid characters. A feel good movie!

Where to start?

Let's start with Bobby Lee floating round this film looking like a marshmallow that got lucky on the lip of a rejection bin. Meaning he looks like a marshmallow that has been rolling around the factory floor in dust, pubes & dirt for 50 years.

His acting is laughably bad; which is a blessing. And when he isn't trying to act he's just being Bobby Lee. Theo Von shows promise.

The film itself, is too, and and and, instead of, so but so. This means it fails to really engage. It's just too choppy. At the very least throw in a few fade shots. Make the transition smooth.

But the film is not terrible. It watches like a practice run. With a bit more skill the film could have been very good.

Another film where we are going to lose the summer camp/ski lodge/gym/halfway house, Etc. Unless we get a lot of money fast and low & behold there is a tournament where they can win exactly what they need to save their beloved whatever. Just not done nearly as well. Almost no comedy unless you find Bobbie Lee funny. Entirely predictable and so badly written. A softball team where 3 of the players never get a hit, 1 only swings the bat 1 time and the rest of the team is far below average athletically, but they win the tournament through....what? Luck? No wonder millennials are so unhappy, they've been taught that you don't need to practice, put in any effort, or really even care. You just need to be a victim... Can't recommend this.