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 must admit, I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. Sure, the original is the best and the second had it's fair share of moments. But I found this one to pretty entertaining and my favorite of the three. It has a lot of humor and (unlike most comedies of the 90s) doesn't result to insulting the audience's intelligence. It's a movie that wants nothing more than to make you laugh, and it does a great job at that. Scott Bakula (as always) is good, and Ted McGinley is appropriately weasley as the coach of the opposing team. I won't give it away, but the scene involving McGinely, a baseball, and the wall of the dugout is one of the funniest gags in the entire movie that had me laughing long after the scene had ended. Bob Ueker (who was hysterical in MAJOR LEAGUE and MAJOR LEAGUE II) gets a little stale this time around, but still gets in some funny moments. If only the lovely Jensen Daggett had been given a bit more to do. But the film is funny and worth a look if you're in the mood for a fun movie the whole family can enjoy.

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.

With a new Major League francise as its location, but some former stars of the Cleveland indians and the first two films in the cast, the final film of the series takes us Back To The Minors. The crux of tis plot has a rivalry between Minnesota Twins manager Ted McGinley and Scott Bakula the manager of their Triple A franchise the Charleston Buzz.

Corbin Bernson from the frst two films of the series is now the General Manager of the Twins and he hires both men, rivals since their playing days. Bakula is OK, but McGinley is pretty insufferable. The climax is a pair of exhibition games netween the teams.

A few of Bernson's teammates from his playing days with the Indians are back including Denns Haysbert the Santeria worshiping slugger.

A good sprts comedy, not quite as good as the first two of the series.