User reviews

I love movies and I love watching sports. Not surprisingly, I really enjoy sports movies. Good ones. This is a very good one.

Bernie Mac, as the ragingly ego maniacal baseball star Stan Ross, accomplishes the near impossible. He makes us despise his character, then pity him, and finally adore him. He is completely comfortable in the role, and commands the screen with almost shocking ease.

The movie doesn't go for a home run, and therein lies much of its strength. This isn't "The Natural." The director and writer are content to tell a straightforward but very entertaining story with a good message for athletes of all ages. "Mr. 3000" is funny and ultimately quite touching, and the ending is both surprising and fitting.

My kids enjoyed the movie as much as I did. So count this as three "thumbs up" for a Hollywood movie with a little bit of heart.

Enjoyed this film primarily because of the great acting of Bernie Mac,"Guess Who", and his girlfriend in the film, Angela Bassett,(Maureen "Mo" Simmons),"Sunshine State". Bernie plays the role of a super baseball player who winds up having to prove himself all over again in the eyes of the Hall of Fame Judges. There are plenty of laughs and some very warm and sexy scenes with "Mo" who plays a CNN News reporter who has interviews with Bernie and has a quick tongue in response to his remarks about being in love and wanting to tie the knot. If it were not for the above mentioned actors, this film would have fallen completely on its head. Thanks Bernie Mac !

"Mr. 3000" has those moments, those moments where you agree that this should have been made into a multi-million dollar feature with big stars and extras and a caterer and all that. There's some pretty funny jokes. It's not a bad film. But it just doesn't really excel anywhere that a sports comedy worth its investment should.

Bernie Mac plays Stan Ross, the titular Mister, and he kind of has the feel for the role all down. But there's two scenes where Mac's inner nice-guy comes out and deflate the bloated jerk he's supposed to be playing. Therefore, the film has this two-headed character, one who is Bernie Mac improvising a nice little scene, and one who is Stan Ross, Mr. 3000 himself.

People have complained the film is too Disney, too formulaic, but the essence of sports is surprise within the bounds of formula. Disney's rules of narrative almost work here; the embittered jerk stripped of his former greatness finds redemption in a second try for his title. It's up to the filmmakers to make it work, to make the redemption by baseball story find nuance and still move the audience. When the drama works (exclusively on the baseball field) and the comedy too (exclusively near the baseball field), this film works too. When it doesn't (pretty much all the arbitrary directions the plot turns to show that he is a jerk), the movie falls flat. So enjoy, but beware the slow scenes with little meaning.

Bernie Mac plays a spoiled baseball player who does not like the media, does not respect the fans, and has no use for his teammates in the movie Mr. 3000. Is he playing, perhaps, a cartoon of a present day super star, perhaps one who plays left field in San Francisco? Regardless, Mr. 3000 is one of the hundreds of baseball movies that have come down the pike, and like most baseball movies, the super stars are jerks and everyone else on the team are just there to fill the background. This is not to say the movie is not entertaining, it does have several amusing moments and the baseball action is perhaps the most realistic in a movie, it is just that the movie does not break much new ground. Bernic Mac plays Stan Ross, an egotistical super star who retires the same night he gets his 3000th hit, the traditional statistic that gets a player into the Hall of Fame. However, because of the bridges he burned with the media, Ross cannot get into the Hall of Fame, and to make matters worst, it is found out that Ross didn't get 3000 hits, rather 2997 hits. So Ross needs to come out of retirement, not an easy task for a player out of the league for 9 years. Fat and out of shape, Ross beings his comeback. While not popular with the media, he is popular with the fans, as seen in perhaps the funniest scene of the movie where an old middle relief pitcher who still hates Ross is the only player who would volunteer to introduce him at his number retirement ceremony, and this popularity with the fans motivates the Brewers' owner (Chris Noth) to let the old player be apart of the team. The humor comes from Mac's natural charm an his ability to ham it up when playing the self-absorbing ball player. Sure there are certain sports formulas throughout the movie, but it is still entertaining enough to warrant a view, if for nothing else but to see Bernie Mac do what he does, or to see the very nice looking Angela Bassett as an ESPN reporter. Baseball fans will notice a few things that could upset them (how many times do the Brewers and Astros play?), but a nice touch was how good the on-field action looks and all of those sports talking heads play a part in this movie. Even a nit-picking sports fan enjoyed Mr. 3000.

Mr. 3000 is a decent comedy that works a lot better then it should thanks to Bernie Mac and Angela Bassett. Stan Ross (Bernie Mac), an aging former baseball player, selfishly quit the game after getting his 3,000th hit, knowing that it would get him into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Ten years later, three of his hits have been disqualified, so he needs to get back in shape, get back into the game and try to live up to his nickname of "Mr. 3000". The plot sounds stupid because its only about getting three hits but Bernie Macs character is 47 years old and he is out of shape so it may be a challenge for him. Bernie Mac does a great job and he is the only reason for watching this movie. Angela Bassett is also very good and she is a very underrated actress and I'm surprised she wasted her time with this film. For me baseball isn't very interesting but the baseball scenes in this movie are kind of interesting. People who follow baseball may like but they might also find the plot too silly. This has been described as a family movie and I don't see how since they curse a lot in this. I mean threes nothing hardcore in this but nothing PG either. Charles Stone III does a decent job of directing and this movie is a lot better then other baseball themed movies out there such as Rookie of the Year. There are some laughs in this film but the preview covers most of them. Rating 6/10 a decent comedy with some laughs but nothing special that makes it a must see.

I thought this movie was a little slow in the beginning, but once the pace quickened, I was able to get into it. It was a cute movie, predictable in plot, but I liked it. Kudos to Bernie Mac for doing a fee-good movie about a sport that many people are not feeling positive about lately.

I liked that Bernie Mac was easier to understand.

I thought Angela Bassett did a decent job.

The movie has a good moral tone to it - it would be a good movie for a young baseball player with a "big head".

There was a lot of humor in this movie, and I think it is accessible to most people who watch it.

In 1995, arrogant baseball superstar Stan Ross (Bernie Mac) gets his 3000 hits and promptly quits. He builds a business empire based on his persona of Mr 3000. Nine years later, a clerical error is discovered and he's 3 hits short of the milestone. He doesn't get into the Hall of Fame. He has to return to the game with the Brewers but time has passed and he's not the same guy he once was. Maybe he can learn to be better.

Bernie Mac has a few funny moments as he tries to get back into shape. There is a little bit of heart as he learns his lessons. The guy needs some humanity at the beginning. The movie is a bit too simple. He needs a secondary story that is more than a second rate love story. The movie also needs to maximize Bernie Mac's edgy brand of comedy. It's not a bad movie. It's just not particularly any good.

Baseball movies usually aren't exciting. In fact, most sports movies aren't. To make a sports movie good, you need to focus on the characters and the plot. Or, you can just make it generic, like Mr. 3000, the first real Bernie Mac vehicle. The character's ego-centric, has a one-note love interest, learns his lesson, etc. No new ground is really covered, and there's not really any huge laughs. But I'd rather watch it again than get a lobotomy, and that's more than I can say about most other movies out there.

Stan Ross (Mac), an egotistical power hitter for the Milwaukee Brewers, aims to just get in the hall of fame, so once he gets 3000 hits, he quits. Nine years later, after milking the 3000 until the udder's dry, it's revealed that Stan only hit 2997 hits. Stan decides to rejoin the Brewers (they need all the help they can get) to get his 3 hits needed to be a shoe-in to the hall of fame. He's not treated with respect by his former teammates, yadda yadda yadda. Think Space Cowboys except on earth and one guy.

Much like Head of State, Bad Santa, two other movies in which Mac had small roles, there weren't many laughs. A moment here or there, but really I don't remember really laughing much at Mr. 3000. The old jokes were, well, old-they put a walker at his locker, how hilarious is that. He's also not as strong-he can't do exercises! Every joke seemed old and overused. And don't you hate it when in movies, tough guys talk about effeminate things (in this case, soap operas). It's just annoying, and still seemed predictable. And none of the supporting characters really added, either. The funniest character, I guess, would be the token Asian guy. Still, it's nothing that this movie required.

As expected, the movie had a one-note romantic relationship between Stan and Mo (Angela Bassett), his former girlfriend and now a reporter for ESPN (by the way, this movie had so many product-and TV show-placements it's not even funny. Actually, it's funnier than most of the film, and these placements weren't funny), which every sports movie must have in now. The whole backstory of their relationship isn't really explained, it seemed forced, whatever. But on the other hand, Mr. 3000 did prove its point, brought things around full circle, and ended up having a clear, simple, but worthy message at the end. Speaking of the end, it was really predictable. Not just really, I mean really. I couldn't really buy all of the twists in Stan, but it's a movie, so I guess I'll accept them. For a comedian, Mac did a surprisingly good job. He was effective in the dramatic scenes, and tried to be funny in the comedic scenes. He may soon become a leading man in comedies, and then turn over to dramas, a la Jim Carrey.

Director Charles Stone III (Drumline) is a mixed bag. One pet peeve I have is that TV shows are always in the aspect ratio of the movie, yet Stone doesn't do that. It's a small thing, but I congratulate him on that. But Stone can't seem to get many laughs out of this supposedly promising material. At least the tagline's funny.

My rating: 5/10

Rated PG-13 for sexual content and language.

Bernie Mac is what makes you watch Charles Stone III's "Mr. 3000". Mac is totally funny and has a great screen presence. No doubt this is a star vehicle for Mac, who really benefits from a surprising screenplay by Eric Champnella, Keith Mitchell, and Howard Gould. Their "Mr. 3000" is funny, edgy, and appropriately sentimental. Bernie Mac plays Stan Ross, a great Major League hitter, and also a major league arrogant jerk. Upon reaching his 3000th hit and securing his place in the Hall of Fame, Stan retires leaving his team in a lurch just before the playoffs. Stan parlays his "Mr. 3000" title into a successful business. However, 9 years later when Stan is on the verge of possible sports immortality with an induction into the Hall of Fame, a statistical error reveals that Stan Ross, "Mr. 3000", is really Stan Ross "Mr. 2997". Stan is shy 3 hits-- pretty much killing any chance of a trip to Cooperstown. So at nearly 50 years old, Stan decides to make a comeback. Seeing the potential of increased ticket sales by his return, his old team welcomes him back. Well, at least the owners do. How difficult would it be to get 3 more hits? Well, that is some of the movie.

Bernie Mac has this charm about him that even when playing a world class arrogant jerk, he is still likable. That is amazing. However, in the evolution of the story by Champnella, Mitchell, and Gould, Stan's (Mac's) introspection of the man he was in his youth is effective and at times poignant. Mac as Stan is smart and gradually sees the impact of selfishness on his teammates in the past and present, and with his old flame Mo (a wonderful and gorgeous Angela Bassett). He sees much of his young self in superstar hitter T-Rex (a commanding Brian J. White). Consequently Stan gives T-Rex a wake up call. T-Rex could end up being a lone jerk like Stan, or he could really make a profound difference by being a leader, and inspire his teammates. This is one of the great touches of the "Mr. 3000". Another great touch is Michael Rispoli as Stan's one loyal friend, Boca, who finally points out to Stan that he loves him, because he can always count on Stan to do what is right for Stan, regardless of anyone else. At the heart of the movie is the amazing Angela Bassett as Mo. She knows that Stan is a jerk and she still loves him. She also is sad and angry that Stan doesn't just grow up, knock it off, and be the great man that he deserves to be.

The end really took me by surprise-- I did not expect it. Without giving anything away, everything works out sometimes in the most unsuspecting ways.

Bernie Mac is wonderful here. "Mr. 3000" is that cool fantasy movie where one gets to atone and correct for being young and stupid. And I guess we all continue to do this is some way or fashion. "Mr. 3000" also does this with a sense of humor. This is a great thing.

'If you film it, they will come' – this is the phrase movie studio executives wish was the rule of thumb when it came to releasing baseball themed features. This genre has become a rarity in recent years and the select few that have gone on to find success have become even scarcer. Only one has ever crossed the once coveted $100 million barrier, that being A League of Their Own in 1992, and few have come close to even achieving that once famous feat, the closest being The Rookie in 2002. Baseball may be America's favorite pastime (not so much as in past years) but it's clear that sport fans would prefer to keep the realms of reality and Hollywood separate. And yet, even beyond that indelible black-eye on the genre, there lays the classics – Field of Dreams, Angels in the Outfield, The Sandlot, Major League, and Bull Durham. Unfortunately the movie studios are no longer interested making a classic – that is to say they aren't interested in making a classic that fails to recoup their investment, or, at the very least, grab a few Oscar nods. Considering Mr. 3000 is a far-cry from a Best Picture win, Touchstone Pictures hopes, desperately, that it makes its money back – and considering the year they are having, they better pray for a miracle.

The story for Mr. 3000 centers on a former big league baseball player who must return to game he left years ago in order to regain a historic milestone that was taken from him thanks to technical error. Stan Ross was once one of the greatest baseball players of his generation. He had the energy, the ambition, and the passion to play the game with every ounce of strength, not just for him self, but for the love of the game, whether it be win or lose. But somewhere down the line of his illustrious career, on his way to achieving the 3000th hit mark, he lost understanding of what it really meant to play the game and slowly began to focus every bit of media attention on him self rather then the team – swearing at the press, insulting fans, and, to top it all off, quitting midway through the Milwaukee Brewers playoff run season once he achieved the prize he craved so much – his 3000th career hit. Unfortunately, ten years later, as he wanted in zealous anticipation to be voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, a statistical error is found in the records and the discovery is made that 'Mr. 3000' is actually 'Mr. 2997', thus losing his shot at greatness. Not willing to live this down, and the owner of the Brewers desperate to get sports fans packed into Miller Park, both the team and Mr. Ross come to an agreement where he will be able to come out of retirement to regain his coveted crown if he agrees to not hit his actually '3000th hit' until the team is back home. At first this agreement seems quite simple but as time progresses, 'Mr. Hot Shot Major-Leaguer' is more out of shape then he once thought and, what's more, he discovers the true love of the game was never lost, he just had to know where to look. The story for Mr. 3000 has its fair share of problems, namely in the fact that it can never fully decided whether it wants to be an inspirational no nonsense sports drama or a flat-out irrelevant comedy. Here's an ultimatum for the filmmakers: pick one and stick with it. Stop switching back and forth between the two or, if its that hard of a decision that you can't make up your mind, then at the very least have a somewhat healthy mix rather then the unbalanced mess that's present on screen.

In the same light as the film's tag line, Bernie Mac 'puts the 'I' back in team' as the film's entire focus is on his character alone. Despite appearing in small roles in over fifteen films since 1992, Mr. 3000 marks Bernie Mac's first leading role in a feature film and he makes a valiant effort in the role despite the weak material. Although advertisements have led many to believe this film was going to be an all-out slap-stick baseball comedy, something along the line of Major League, though no where near the greatness, the film is actually more of drama then anything else and Mac does a remarkable job at invoking the emotions on screen of a man trying to cope with his demons, in this case his arrogance and self-centeredness. And poor Paul Sorvino – what has his career come to when he's reduce to appearing in insipid roles such as this? Sorvino, best known for his roles in Goodfellas and Nixon, or, to the intended teenage audience, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, looks as though he's dying a dog's death on screen and. And what's worse is that he has few speaking lines at all throughout the feature (the only time he does speak is at the very end and it just ends up being a bunch of garbled anger rants and obscenities). The filmmakers couldn't have made a more pointless character if they tried. At the most they could have shoved this character deeply into the background and just given Sorvino cameo credit instead.

Overall, Mr. 3000, as valiant an effort as it gives trying to invoke an inspirational message of teamwork and devotion to the game, strikes out when its step up to the plate thanks to a one-two-three combo-punch of inconsistency, insufficient material, and a horrible backdrop. First off, the feature's main problem lies in the fact that the filmmakers can't decide what direction to pull this movie toward – the emotional melodrama or the slap-stick comedy. The fact that a good amount of material isn't all that funny is bad enough, but to have the audience confused as to where the film is pulling them is even worse. Secondly, let's give credit where credit is due – Bernie Mac should have no trouble dealing with the transition from venerable side-kick to illustrious leading man, given that he chooses his scripts properly, but no matter how. Had this been an R-rated movie then Mac would have had more room to roam and given his fans what they expect. Granted the language in this film is probably excessive for what is usually allowed, it isn't anywhere near what would normally come from Mac's routines and often the audience finds him holding back, which isn't what they paid for. And lastly, from the viewpoint of a sports fan, no amount of glitz and glamour can make the Milwaukee Brewers look anything close to an inspirational baseball team. Even for those unfamiliar with the area of sports, if you lived in the state of Wisconsin you would be well familiar with state of affairs of the losing sports team. It may be nice to dream but do it with some other team and not the Brewers because once you enter that stadium, dreams are crushed. It's harsh but it's the truth, and those coming from the state of Wisconsin would know it all too well. In the end, Mr. 3000 is a good start off vehicle for Bernie Mac to learn from his mistakes and become a more prosperous leading man. As for the audience, the lesson of the day is not to be misled by advertisements, as the phrase 'what you see is what you get' is not the case with this film.

After watching this movie, i recognized the two things.

First of all, this is a movie about being a team. The main character here starts a journey from the point of being the most selfish man in a team to a real teammate.

The second thing, this movie is praising being old. After watching all those "stay young forever" crap, it is good to see a film which deals with being old with a quite realistic way, but of course with the magic happy ending point of view of Hollywood factory.

Besides that, i liked the fast cut scene and combine technique which really has geared up the speed of the film.

If you like baseball, here is a good film for you. Bernie Mac is perfect in the title role as a Brewers baseball player with an ego the size of Milwaukee who retires just after he thinks he gets his 3000th hit, which he assumes will make him a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame. Many years and no induction later, he learns that three of the hits did not count, and he returns to the game to get those three hits. Mac does a good job and actually fleshes out the character, as his return helps him learn more about being a team player. I really liked this film when I saw it.

*** out of ****

People always ask me why I can't see movies as just entertainment and why I feel the need to place everyone under examination, like I'm trying to magnify every little aspect. Why can't I just enjoy the movie? They misrepresent me and forget when I review a film, I'm putting down my thoughts and this is my opinion; I try and extend mine past simple, fragmented remarks. I'm using this as the introduction to my review of Charles Stone III's Mr. 3000 because I can see every point at which I'm about to make being refuted with the statement, "it's entertaining, who cares?" This is where the average moviegoer and myself see ourselves at odds.

Mr. 3000 will be found entertaining by baseball fans, fans of sports films, and those looking for light-hearted comedy that can't be burdened to think much. There is nothing wrong with that at all. It concerns Stan Ross, an unbelievably arrogant, self-centered baseball player who gets his three-thousandth hit right at the beginning of the film. He is so arrogant and self-centered that he goes into the crowd and snatches the ball from a kid's hand. In the locker-room after the game, giving a post-game interview, Ross announces that he will quit mid-season, leaving his team hanging. He got three-thousand hits; what more does he have to do? Nine years later, however, an error is discovered after Ross is about to be entered into the Baseball Hall of Fame, leaving him with two-thousand nine hundred and seven hits and not three-thousand. He decides that even at forty-seven, he should return to his old team - the Milwaukee Brewers, who are now struggling in fifth place - and hit the ball three more times to be an official member of the three-thousand club.

Stan Ross is played by Bernie Mac, an actor who oozes likability and wry humor when he needs to. Because of this, seeing him play a cantankerous, unnecessarily arrogant ballplayer is disheartening, and this persona becomes such a drag that by the time the inevitable plot-points ring true and we're left with a corny ending, we still couldn't bother to side with this man - at least I couldn't. When we focus on a character who has been disrespectful and disgustingly narcissistic for more than half of the film and at the end the film makes us try and side with him, as he slowly begins to realize the pain and lonesomeness that comes with being so brazenly self-indulgent, I can't be bothered to have sympathy for the man. Narcissism is single-handedly the trait in people I despise the most, and even when Ross is clearly being sincere near the end, I saw nothing but smarmy behavior and false kindness in him.

It's no secret that baseball players can be the most self-indulgent athletes around. I frequently attend minor league games and see stuck-up attitudes abound - and that's a single-A division. There is indisputable truth to the Stan Ross character in baseball circles, but do people really want to watch a film about a sickeningly arrogant ballplayer? Considering Mr. 3000's lukewarm box office receipts, I'm guessing not entirely.

Besides its irredeemable character and the predictable sentimentality that endures, Mr. 3000 is a perfectly watchable film. For one, it features some of the slickest editing I've seen in a baseball picture, especially during the scenes on the diamond, which become briskly paced and somewhat tense when Ross is up to bat. Not to mention, Paul Sorvino gets a bold moment to shine, and the scene when the players are talking about the "sounds" of baseball from years past is wholesome and kindly nostalgic. Now if only the film's title character could possess traits closer to the latter than the ones he holds onto now, which are nearly stomach-turning.

Starring: Bernie Mac, Angela Bassett, and Paul Sorvino. Directed by: Charles Stone III.

I was 11 when this movie came out. It came out around the same time Taxi came out with Queen Latifa and Jimmy Fallon. Being a kid, I enjoyed both of the movies then, but since then Taxi has became nothing special to me, but Bernie Mac was always such a fantastic and enjoyable actor. So I rewatched Mr. 3000, for the first time in probably 10 years and I still enjoy this film. Bernie Mac was such an underestimated actor, but always played that enjoyable part. He was in LIFE with Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence back in 1999 and that movie is an all time favorite of mine. I wish we could have seen a couple more movies with Mac in them, but his passing away some years back only make his movies that more enjoyable. If you have yet to see this movie, I would recommend giving it a watch and if you are like me and have not viewed it in a long time, I would rewatch it! It's a 7 out of 10 for me.

Boring, unoriginal and not funny. I've always enjoyed Bernie Mack but this movie completely wasted his talent

It's a simple movie, it doesn't challenge you with much, but that's not what it's trying to do. Being a fan of the sport does help your viewing experience with this film, but even besides that with likable characters and funny moments this film is an enjoyable watch.

Bernie Mac is pretty funny. His TV show is pretty funny. Besides this and Ocean's 11 & 12, I've only seen him in one movie, Bad Santa, and that was extremely funny. So why not see Mr. 3000 when it came out on video? Plot: 17/25: Stan Ross (Mac) is an extremely selfish, but extremely good, slugger for the Milwaukee Brewers who ditched his team in the middle of the pennant race in 1995 because he got his 3000th hit, which he figured solidified him into the hall of fame. Nine years later, after his number is retired and he is well on his way to Cooperstown, it is found three of his hits were a clerical error and he only has 2997 hits. As Stan has milked his Mr. 3000 title to death, he decides to rejoin the Brewers, even though he's 47 and out of shape. The managers agree because he would be a big crowd draw, as there numbers were down with the mediocre performance of the Brews. Of course, he's now a hitless wonder, but he, of all people, teaches the team how to play better by telling them stuff that their coach could have and should have told them long ago. He also resumes an old relationship with now-ESPN reporter Mo (Basset) (Mo is short for something I guess) in what can only be described as a typical, clichéd sub-plot. Aside from that, the plot isn't memorably good, not deviating from the given formula at all, but does maintain some level of interest, more than I can say for most movies like this. It's unoriginal, but it works, somehow.

Comedy: 3/25: I don't remember laughing once during this movie. Not a single time. The only semi-funny bit involved the Japanese pitcher who can't curse right. The rest were barely amusing, if that. It wasn't like there were a bunch of stinker jokes, in fact there were very few. It seemed like this movie didn't even TRY to be funny. This makes it slightly more bearable, but still, this one just doesn't deliver.

Acting: 21/25: Bernie Mac (Ocean's 11) isn't very funny here, but he's very believable. He hasn't had a lead role before, but this looks like he's going to be type-casted like this from now on. Basset (Contact) is appropriate for a role that really requires little talent. The rest of the cast is adequate, but Mac is a great lead and the movie is never really left on anyone else's shoulders, so he carries it quite well.

Entertainment: 12/25: This is filler, but it's tolerable filler, so while I won't recommend it for anyone but die-hard Mac fans, I won't necessarily deter anyone either.

Bonus -3 for blatant advertising: While, unlike I Robot, it does feel in place here, there is so much advertising here that they managed to fit in Viagra. That says something.

Total: 50%: Really, this is a very unfunny comedy. Somehow, as if some higher power wanted it to survive, it is actually quite bearable. I sure won't recommend it, but if it looks interesting to you, I see no harm in renting it.

This is an excellent movie because it delivers on the promise of its marketing: you get the story of a 47 year-old former hitting star of the Milwaukee Brewers (Bernie Mac as Stan Ross), who retired nine years earlier with exactly 3,000 hits, believing that to be his ticket to the hall of fame, and milking the "Mr. 3000" persona for all it's worth commercially. It is very common in real life for former athletes to become car dealers and high-end stockbrokers, selling expensive things to rich people who want a little nostalgia as an extra, and if you check the end of "Miracle" you'll find many former members of the 1980 gold medal squad working in finance or banking.

The last-place Brewers are desperate for attendance (at least their owner, played by Chris Noth, is), and they lure Stan back to the ballpark to retire his number. While compiling a list of each of his 3,000 hits, it is learned that three of the hits were counted twice and he only has 2,997 hits, thus cancelling his ticket to Cooperstown. Stan will have none of this, and returns to the Brewers, whose owner figures he'll be a welcome distraction from the standings. Ross faces an uphill battle from the team he publicly derided prior to his return, even finding himself on the receiving end of a seemingly endless tirade of trash talk from a mascot dressed as a BRATWURST. The movie even paid an homage to the "sausage races" that occur in Milwaukee during the seventh inning stretch (a race between four mascots in various sausage uniforms).

The usual suspects (ESPN, etc.) make cameos, and Stan's on-again, off-again love interest (an ESPN reporter played by Angela Bassett) enjoys his company but finds him unsuitable for commitment to anything but his mirror. Stan has a full life and several close friends who accept his narcissism as part of the package that drew the fans to the ballpark all those years. The fans seem willing to forgive Stan everything because he came through for the team all those years, and even empathize with his plight to recapture his primary glory in life, taken from him through a mathematical error not even his. Paul Sorvino manages his best Earl Weaver impersonation as manager Gus Panas, but I was never a fan of that shtick when Earl did it.

The film has no real bad guy (other than Stan's ego), but they add an "It's A Wonderful Life" element to the film in the form of T. Rex Pennebaker (sp?), the brash young slugger you build championship teams around. T. Rex is a lot like Stan used to be, thus giving Stan pause, for like Stan used to, T. Rex walks the walk as he talks the talk. To his credit, T. Rex gives his all even for a last-place team, even if it's only to boost his stats.

Stan, who left the Brewers in a pennant race nine years ago, now tries to be a team player as he pursues the elusive three hits. He tries to show he has matured and loves the game, and assumes a mentoring role for a talented yet very undisciplined, young team, but the "old Stan" does not go away quietly, and in a way that's good, because for as egotistical as Stan is made out to be, it is obvious that he loves people, the spotlight, and genuinely wants to be liked. He just assumes that everyone is out for themselves the way he is out for himself.

If you tried to write the ending to this film, it wouldn't be surprising if you were not too far off from how they wrote this one. The movie doesn't even try to be unpredictable, and this is another strength, because there's really only one or two ways a movie like this can end.

I do not know any baseball stars up close, so I have no idea if they are all assholes like Stan Ross. Bernie Mac does a great impression of the player that even the team mascot hates. Well, I wouldn't undo his zipper either.

He burned all his bridges and finds he is three hits away from the magic 3000 club. Now, he has to come back, and he finds it wasn't as easy as he thought. He will eat a lot of crow before all is said and done.

Angela Bassett comes into the picture, and Stan starts being nicer and helping out his young teammates.

All sports movies end the same way - the big play at th last second to win the pennant. The big play came, and a big man emerged.

I don't believe I have ever sit through an entire comedy film before without even cracking a smile until I watched Bernie Mac's dud, Mr. 3000. With one-sided jokes, uneven editing, and a very poor story, I am surprised that anyone would enjoy watching this film. It is quite possibly the worst representation of Mac's humor that I have ever seen. I am not sure what the filmmakers were trying to achieve with this film, but it felt like there was plenty of editing left on the floor, a bad match for Bernie Mac, and an overall story that really just didn't spark at any time. From the beginning of this film until the very anticlimactic and predictable ending, I didn't laugh one bit and this was supposed to be "very funny" (if you look at the cover box). There was something amok with this film, and I plan to discover what it was.

Casting was a downer for this film. Outside of Mac, there was really no showcased talent. Angela Bassett was completely miscast as a believable sports writer. I felt she really hindered the film with her wishy-washy performance that never seemed to go anywhere. She kept jumping in and out of character that it felt as if she was just interested in the money instead of the script. There was something emotional there, but (as I will go into later) it seemed as if it was all edited out to allow more face time of Bernie Mac. I do believe that the ultimate downfall of this film was Bernie Mac. There was nothing funny about him in the least bit. The writing gave him nothing to build upon, the direction seemed very stale giving Bernie a very plastic image when he moved, and Mac's acting was not the best for this role. I am not sure if there was supposed to be more emotion behind his character, or perhaps more emotion in the story, but there was not one good scene with Mac that I can recall. A good way to grade this is to count how many times you doze off during this film, and for me it was four … which is not a good sign. The relationship between Michael Rispoli and Mac seemed forced to the extent where they looked and felt like actors just reading their lines. Was there any rehearsal in this film? It felt as if everything was done on the first take, then the rest of the cast took the day off.

As if the acting wasn't the tip of the iceberg, I felt this was the worst story contrived for a film. Here is where I get a bit fuzzy. Was it the story that needed some definite attention, or was it the editing? I couldn't tell which was worse. Every time we would get moving in a decent direction, suddenly we were pulled back in another without any warning or reason. Two scenes that I can think about were when Mac talks to the star player about being a team player and overnight he listens to Mac. How believable was that? Where was the tension, the ultimate realization, and the gritty truth? I saw none of this, could it have been edited out or was it the story just didn't allow it? The second was when Mac found his fame again. This came out of left field, caused some trouble with the story and characters then suddenly fixed itself without any warning or repercussion. Who could have allowed this to happen? Mr. 3000 felt like a High School freshman's term paper that forgot to connect the paragraphs. I just felt like I was jumping around the baseball field without any parental guidance. This film shamed the Baseball Hall of Fame, and I am surprised that they did nothing to try to stop it. Tom Arnold was in it for God's sake. Can nothing be said for that? Nonetheless, with sub-par acting and a story without any consecutiveness, I had to wonder why this film did so well. I remember Bernie Mac as this stylish comedian with a voice that speaks to the American public, not Stan Ross, an unfunny baseball player who seems to have a chip on his shoulder for no apparent reason. Could we not get any backstroke on this character? Again, story or editing, which do I blame? If you couldn't tell already, I completely disliked this film. The customers at my video store seem to want this title more than any other title, and I cannot for the likes of me figure out why. There are no redeemable scenes in this film or anything worth enjoying. This was a disappointing film with its lackluster performances and shoddy story. The only great aspect that this film had going for it is that it continued to fuel my complete hatred for the sports genre film.

Overall, skip it. You are missing nothing and, in fact, by not watching this film you will probably end up enjoying the work of Bernie Mac much more. For me, my eyes have been ruined and my overall taste of Bernie Mac has fallen quite a few notches on the infamous POLE OF COMEDY!

Grade: * out of *****