A mildly amusing distraction
Film critic Jason Evans is on a quest to tell you everything you need to know about movies in less time than it takes to make a hoop with your eyes closed (or your back to the basket). His reviews are exactly 100 words long (99 is too few and 101 is too much). Here is his 100-word review of Champions.
The Premise: Marcus (Woody Harrelson) is a brilliant basketball coach who has never gotten along with much of anyone. As a result, he is toiling as an assistant in the minor leagues rather than coaching in the NBA. When a squabble with his team’s head coach (Ernie Hudson, Ghostbusters) results in Macus getting fired, he washes his sorrows out in a local bar and soon finds himself in court on a drunk driving charge. The judge offers Marcus a deal – avoid jail by agreeing to coach the “Friends,” a group of mentally challenged players hoping to make it to the Special Olympics. The film is directed by Bobby Farrelly who, along with his brother, has helmed several films with mentally challenged characters like Dumb and Dumber and There’s Something About Mary. It is based on a Spanish language film that was a boxoffice and critical smash in 2018 in Spain.
The 100 Words – I expected something more raunchy and slapstick
from Bobby Farrelly. It was a relief that this film seemed to respect its
characters rather than treat them as comic fodder. The “Friends” are charming
and real and are the main reason to see this flick. Though it is a comedy and I
was smiling much of the time, I didn’t laugh out loud too much. The movie was
largely predictable and the script doesn’t mine any new territory. Harrelson
seems to be punching the clock and brings little nuance to his character. A
classic, "not bad, but not really good" film.
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