Major League: Back to the Minors

I got the feeling when I watched this that someone had written a nice script about minor league baseball, and somebody got a hold of it and said, "Hey, let's just make this a 'Major League' movie!" I got the feeling the characters from the previous two movies were just tacked onto the existing story line. Which is bad, because there were some good things in this, like the old (actually, ancient) minor league outfielder who was converted to first. And the young phenom hitter.

Not Bull Durham, but could have been good.

I don't remember if this was released in the theaters or just made straight to DVD, but it's the 2nd level of production. Watchable but forgettable, and I don't mean that as an insult to the film, cause it's not as bad as everyone says.

Scott Bakula with his easy going, genuine style carries the movie. Most of the team is forgettable but not annoying and there are some moments of humor in there. Corbin Bernsen has a very small role as the GM, where he's not comic relief this time, as he was in the first 2 movies, but he's a nice guy running a bad ball-club. Ted McGinley is at his best as the arrogant teams manager and he's a perfect Yin to Bakula's Yang.

I wasn't a fan of Major League 2, which lacked the freshness and charm of Major League 1 (though I loved the White Lightning/Black Thunder scene). This one went down a different path leaving the major league team behind and looking at it from the minors and for me it worked, but, it's not a film to go into with high expectations. Another poster he called it "a solid single" and while Major League 1 was a home-run and Major League 2 was disappointing by comparison, this one, we don't expect much so it's OK. 6 stars. 7 if you're dying for a baseball movie and there's one you haven't seen. It's not awful and don't believe the 4.5 ranking. It's better than that, just, not much better.

This film did nothing to help carry on the success that Major League's I & II started. As a matter of fact they didn't mention the Cleveland Indians once during the whole film. What happened to the "Comeback Kids"? Did they finally win the World Series or did they just give up? I understand that the story was about a minor league team but come on. What was their motive for winning? I hope it wasn't to see if they could beat the Minnesota Twins ( the way those guys are playing now anybody can beat them ). After they finished their season in first place did they go on to the championship or did they just go to Disneyland like everyone else? The only highlights of the film was seeing Pedro Cerano and Tanaka return to baseball ( although it was a bit cheesy learning how they quit the majors only to return to the minor league later on ). Bob Uecker was great as always (did he get fired as the Indians head announcer?). I hope that if a fourth one is on the horizon that it is not a repeat of this awful season.

Yet another team of castaways led to improbable victory by a troubled coach who discovers himself in the process.

The only novelty here is the drama of the announcers. More energy was expended on their dialog than on anything else, with all the rest of the story is automatic. But this is actually done well. The first problem in drama is how to place the viewer. The oldest trick is also the most effective: create a chorus to stand as surrogate and leader for the viewer. A distance from the action is established, but since it is within the play, that distance is vastly less than between the screen and me in my seat.

So here we have a screenwriter working to put new life into a tired cliche. Probably it is not enough, but it is interesting to watch the struggle.

I enjoyed this movie quite a bit and find myself watching it when it comes on TV. I'm not sure why several other 'reviewers' are getting so fired up about why Charlie Sheen or Wesley Snipes are not in the movie, or why the Indians have been replaced by the Twins: this is the Major League franchise, friends, not the Godfather trilogy. Just accept this as a nice little movie focused on minor league ball, jokes, and Ted McGinley's overacting. It's not going to save the world, or win an Oscar, but it's certainly enjoyable. If you have to compare the 3 movies, the first one is the best, then I'd put this one because it's not trying so hard to repeat the original, then the 2nd one, because, well, that one's just very bad: worse than drinking Jobu's rum. (Although the look on Berenger's face in the second one when he has to say "okay, Rick, let's get nasty" is priceless, I have to admit). Major League 3 doesn't try to do too much, so don't expect much out of it, and you'll be pleasantly surprised.