Kicking & Screaming

source: Kicking & Screaming

Kicking & Screaming

Kicking and Screaming is a good movie. It is not Will Ferrell's best, but it's good enough. The story is about a last-place Tigers team. Their coach decided to abandon them. Then, Phil Weston(Ferrell) decides to take over the reins. Along with assistant coach Mike Ditka(Ditka) and two Italian boys, the team must make it to the championship to face Weston's father- Buck(Duvall). Will Ferrell is funny in this film especially when coffee comes into the picture. I really was surprised and happy to see Mike Ditka. He was great in this movie. I also liked Duvall. The only thing that bothered me is that this movie has the same plot as the Bad News Bears but in soccer. A new coach, misfit kids, last place, big rivalry-these things mentioned happens in both movies. Other than that, I enjoyed this movie. This is a great movie for soccer fans and everyone else who likes a plain movie. I rate this movie 8/10.

Will Ferrell stars as a family man in this coming of age family soccer comedy. Having seen this movies when it was released in theatres in 2005 and now watching it again for the first time since. Much memory about the film had been forgotten but remember some brief moments and details. None the less, this film relies on funny gags and chemistry between the leads for jokes. Most of which fall flat or are cringe and just overall not funny. The acting is passable for this type of comedy but a lot of the jokes and humor feel forced. It is a family film and aimed for young children, and sends a positive message but as a whole Kicking and Screaming isn't great, and it ultimately does become predictable.

Phil Weston (Will Ferrell) is always trying to live up to his super competitive father Buck (Robert Duvall). Buck is so competitive that he has a son at the same time as Phil. Buck plays his son Bucky (Josh Hutcherson) over Phil's son Sam (Dylan McLaughlin) in their little league soccer team. It gets so bad that Buck trades Sam away to the worst team in the league. Phil needs help and gets Buck's arch-nemesis next door neighbor Chicago Bears legendary coach Mike Ditka. This Will Ferrell character may be getting too familiar to people. He has made a living playing the same idiot all the time. So it's understandable if the critics are tired of him. But the big discovery is Mike Ditka. His combative relationship with Robert Duvall is hilarious. When you put two great men together, Will Ferrell's childlike behavior is even more funnier. The chemistry of the three men is perfectly suited.

This soccer version of Bad News Bears is horrible. Full of attempted humor that is wildly in bad taste. Nobody is likable here. In one scene, there is an obvious stuntman for Will Ferrell as kids jump on him. I guess that kind of sums it up. Naturally, Ferrell, Duvall, and Ditka all live in mansions with an acre of front lawns and park like yards... yeah, just your everyday suburbanites. Just a Turkey of a movie.

Kicking and Screaming was decent. Will Ferrel plays the son of a dad who WILL NOT lose to ANYONE (Robert Duvall). He takes over coaching his son's Little League soccer team and goes nuts trying to win at all costs. Kicking & Screaming seemed like it wanted to be the Anchorman of kid's movies, but it just lost me. There were some really funny parts, one involving the team needing to help out at the Italian kids family butcher shop, but overall, it just tried to hard to be a quirky movie that adults and kids would enjoy. All in all, not Will Ferrel's best movie, but definitely not horrible. A good saterday night rental.

If you're a parent with kids in AYSO soccer, or a kid that plays(ed) the game, then you'll love this mindless, uplifting comedy about a coach going to the extreme to help his Tigers soccer team win. If you expect nothing more than that, then you'll enjoy yourself and have fun with this movie. The kids' soccer play has some real tricks, many of which our own kids tried during the next Saturday game! Kudos especially to Robert Duvall and Mike Ditka who really played their parts well and added a lot of variety to the movie so that it is not completely saturated with Will Ferrell (who also balanced his father/son roles well). A great family flick enjoyed by all, even the grandparents :)

Watching this film made me remember when Mike Ditka was on the sidelines shouting and swearing off his own players when they didn't meet his demands. Will Farrel's performance was wacky and funny considering the fact he was competing against his dad (Robert Duvall in a nice spot). Anyone who likes soccer will find this film entertaining for a change along with Bend it Like Beckham. The kids on all the teams did their best on and off the field. If there would of been better props, we could say this movie could equal Little Giants(1994), another good comic sports film.Between a one two ten, I give a seven and a half thanks to the director's effort to bring in Mike Ditka to help out.

'Kicking & Screaming' is pretty much a typical football comedy about an underdog team that wins in the end. Nothing new here but the reason why I watched it and enjoyed it was because of the cast. Will Ferrell is fun to watch and a laidback Robert Duvall gives a funny relaxed performance as the jerk dad with a comic touch. The beautiful Kate Walsh plays the typical wife and mom and is pretty much there for star value and eye candy. I also enjoyed the scenes with the kids. The Byong Sun character was particularly funny. The film does occasionally derail as Ferrell's Phil gets hooked on coffee and turns into a maniac coach but then again, it made me laugh. Overall this isn't exactly a great film and it has nothing new to offer but it's good time pass as it draws some laughter. Perhaps that was director Jesse Dylan's intention.