I really wanted to see the BAD NEWS BEARS remake, mostly because I love Billy Bob Thornton and the majority of the performances he throws on screen. Then I read Sean O’Connell’s review, and changed my mind. Boy, this sh*t must really be “Bad”, right? Wait, no, Ebert and Roper loved it. What was going on here? I mean; filmcritic.com should know what’s going on as far as the world of movies go. Right? They’re the Internet’s film critics. But, goddamn it, they’re so far off the mark here, it’s not funny. Normally, I wouldn’t care, but this Sean O’Connell seems to have left his sense of humor up inside his mom’s vagina. I have to counter his views. After all, this aint Filmcritic.com. This is movieweb.com, and we let these jokers come into our house on good faith. I don’t want this douche bag’s opinion being the only one we support and offer.
Let’s get something straight: Movieweb loves Richard Linklater’s latest baseball opus. It’s a fun, tight little package that showcases another wonderfully hilarious Billy Bob performance. And the kids are spot on. Did Sean see the original film? Christ, he should have known what he was in for. Linklater’s openly stated that he had too cut scenes from the original to insure a PG-13 rating in today’s prudish climate. And that film was a more kid-friendly PG. Oh, how things have changed since back in the day.
Bad language? That’s what the Bad News Bears is about. This aint kiddy day camp. Course, vulgar language and a non-PC take on kids in the playing field is Bear’s intended slant. Parents should know this. I’d assume they grew up with the original, and Linklater’s film pays loving tribute to that classic film. Maybe a little too much; they could be companion pieces. O’Connell calls this new take “a mean-spirit, insensitive, and racist misfire.” F*ck him. Why doesn’t he go watch The Sandlot 2. At least the actions seen here are based within a modicum of reality. This is the way kids act. This is the way kids talk. We don’t live in the world of Mary Poppins anymore.
To call the film racist is an insult. I thought Billy Bob’s inquiry about the black kid’s shirt number was very honest. Hell, I’d be surprised to find out some African American youth worshipped Mark McGuire. Pop Culture has brought us up this way. Black film in general has set our thought process in this direction. If we had a black coach acting surprised that one of his white kids held a black player near and dear to his heart, Sean wouldn’t blink an eye, let alone call it racist. Talk about your double standards.
The ending championship game is not preposterous at all. It plays to the authenticity of the situation. I think both films, old and new, should be praised for taking the route they take. I was a little worried after reading O’Connell’s statements that Linklater had changed the outcome of the game. I won’t tell you what that is, but if you’ve seen the original, then you already know how it goes down. That idea is locked here. Preposterous? It takes balls for a sports film to take this kind of out.
O’Connell’s take on the kids makes me think he has absolutely no sense of humor at all. I went in, on his word, believing that I wouldn’t like any of these tyke ballplayers. The exact opposite happened. I loved them all. Detestable is a pretty strong word. These boys aren’t detestable. They grow on you like they should. And the one in the wheelchair is hilarious. Watch closely, O’Connell, the eye patch is explained away. Its not just dropped as you describe. You must have been nodding off, or some sh*t.
Don’t listen to this guy. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. The Bad News Bears is an often funny, very fun summer romp. And it does the original proud. Go see it. You’ll dig it.
And if you know Sean O’Connell, punch him for me. I almost missed this one on his word. The prick. Go wave that sh*t at your own website. Get it off of mine….
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