Sweet Dreams

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.

.. the F words start at the outset, and get more numerous in the first half hour. (At which point I quit). Too bad, because the poor 'leading character trying to reform for a good purpose' can be a fun premise (goes back at least to CAT BALLOU 1965, for which Lee Marvin won an Oscar). I am sorry to say that Script Writers should just write meaningful stories, and Actors should just act, instead of spouting out this trash.

Thats all I want to say, but IMDB insists on 600 words, which is silly really, since some flicks csn be summed up in 300, good or bad.

Finally, a word to the Producer: casting was superb! These guys looked tough snd beaten down. You didn't need the profanity.

So close to good, but I was just left wanting it to deliver more.

More stories on some of the characters, More Closure of some of the storylines - I just felt like the concept had more to deliver than what it gave us.

There is a lot that's right about the movie. Great characters, good laughs, solid emotions, and i loved the way this felt like it wasn't all filmed on a sound stage/green screen. But it felt like there was more potential here. With great comedians like Bobby Lee and Theo Von in the cast, it felt like it had more laughs and emotions to pull on (and both are sober as well - so experience to draw on.) Kate Upton's character felt like there was more storyline available. There were a number of things where we got a taste of something but it didn't move/resolve/progress - the Diner scenes/story, Kate Upton's character, the music video situation, Garvey's roadtrip, what happened after the game, etc. There were just a bunch of questions that could have been answered and would have raised my enjoyment.

It's thoroughly watchable, with some solid performances from a range of quality actors/personalities, and a decent smattering of laughter and emotion. There's nothing "dumb" about it or cliched - it just felt like it could have been 10 mins longer and given us a lot more, or 10 mins shorter and removed some storylines that didn't go anywhere.

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.

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.