Being a fan of "Club de Cuervos," I was highly disappointed in this spin-off. For those of you familiar with the film, this short film revolves around Argentinian goalie Potro. While he makes for an interesting and likable character in "Club de Cuervos," his role as protagonist in "Yo, Potro" quickly grows stale. I am not even sure why this movie was made, for it does little to expand upon the foundation built in the original show.
The plot revolves around Potro returning to his homeland of Argentina to crash his younger brother's wedding (who is a comparably more-famous soccer star) after being fired from Mexican soccer team the Pumas. Along the way, he not only struggles to be accepted by his family, but also struggles with his self-identity as an Argentinian, having spent the last several years of his life in Mexico and having built his soccer career there.
Right off the bat, some of the most likable characters from the original show (namely Luis Gerardo Méndez's character Chava Iglesias) are completely absent. The "mockumentary" format is unoriginal and unjustifiable. There are several off-color and even racist remarks made by Potro which are supposed to be funny. Worst of all, Potro makes a number of bad decisions throughout the film, and, despite what ominous music in the background may lead us to believe, never has to face the consequences of his actions.
Unless you are a die-hard fan of "Club de Cuervos" as I consider myself, do yourself a favor and do not watch this. It literally adds nothing to the original series, unlike the other spin-off, "The Ballad of Hugo Sanchez." The ending of this movie was highly disappointing and left me feeling ripped-off, despite it having been on Netflix. There were some funny moments (Potro's sketchy, scruffy chauffeur/talent agent who lives in his car makes for an entertaining character), but overall, there were no stand-out moments that had me genuinely laughing. There were also some heartwarming moments which lead us to believe that Potro and his brother weren't such bad people after all. Still though, I am not sure what message the makers of this movie were trying to convey. Go watch the "Ballad of Hugo Chavez" instead of wasting your time with this one, and if you haven't already, watch "Club de Cuervos"!
