I personally loved the original "Major League," and feel it's a classic among sports movies. Is this sequel better or worse than its predecessor? Who cares? This is such a fun-filled, likable, hilarious comedy that you really don't want to make comparisons.
Yes, this is more sanitized. You won't hear the "f" word--which is contained in my favorite line from the original: "Strike that motherf**ker out!" But it's quite raunchy for PG standards. And it's not the least bit watered down.
Many of the beloved characters return. Omar Epps replaces Wesley Snipes as Willie Mays Hayes. Maybe Wesley would've been funnier reprising his role, but Omar does a fine job. We also have the great Cuban ballplayer Pedro Cerrano (Dennis Haysbert), whose voo-doo antics clash with the Buddhist antics of the new Asian ballplayer (don't ask me the actor's name). There's a very funny scene where Pedro introduces his voo-doo doll to the the Asian guy's Buddha statue: "Jobu, Buddha. Buddha, Jobu. Now I don't want no trouble out of you." The Asian guy is also hilarious: You have no...you have no...(looks in dictionary) manners! You have no manners!" And how can we have a kick-ass sequel without the return of Charlie Sheen as Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn?!!! Of course, in this one Wild Thing is not so wild to start with, as he meets a posh girlfriend (Allison Doody) who teaches him all about improving his image for the public, which means dressing him in a suit and forcing him to shed the "biker dude" persona. No way! When Wild Thing finally returns to his old ways (don't worry, I'm not giving anything away) you just want to jump up and cheer like you're at the game yourself and sing along to "Wild Thing." The coach (James Gammon) returns and has a funny subplot in which he passes out from a heart attack, getting sent to the hospital and not being allowed to watch baseball since doctors feel it'll be detrimental to his health. So he listens to the big game through a portable radio. The final scene with him in the hospital is hilarious and he has a memorable line, which I unfortunately can't give away since it's at the very end. In the booth, we have Bob Uecker who once again supplies his hysterically funny commentary on each game. Adding to the initial cast, we have Eric Bruskotter as the new catcher, who's very funny as the stereotypical hick who keeps bios of "Playboy" centerfolds hanging on his walls. Adding to the crowd, we have Randy Quaid as an obsessed baseball fan who loses his faith in Wild Thing after his big transition: "Wild Thing! You make my butt sting! You make every-thing...embarrassing!"
The plot is predictable. Don't expect any surprises. But the lovable characters and grand slam comedy helps rise above its shortcomings. Not to mention the exciting baseball footage.
If you fell in love with the first one, you'll fall in love with the sequel! Take me out to the ballgame!
My score: 7 (out of 10)
Yes, this is more sanitized. You won't hear the "f" word--which is contained in my favorite line from the original: "Strike that motherf**ker out!" But it's quite raunchy for PG standards. And it's not the least bit watered down.
Many of the beloved characters return. Omar Epps replaces Wesley Snipes as Willie Mays Hayes. Maybe Wesley would've been funnier reprising his role, but Omar does a fine job. We also have the great Cuban ballplayer Pedro Cerrano (Dennis Haysbert), whose voo-doo antics clash with the Buddhist antics of the new Asian ballplayer (don't ask me the actor's name). There's a very funny scene where Pedro introduces his voo-doo doll to the the Asian guy's Buddha statue: "Jobu, Buddha. Buddha, Jobu. Now I don't want no trouble out of you." The Asian guy is also hilarious: You have no...you have no...(looks in dictionary) manners! You have no manners!" And how can we have a kick-ass sequel without the return of Charlie Sheen as Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn?!!! Of course, in this one Wild Thing is not so wild to start with, as he meets a posh girlfriend (Allison Doody) who teaches him all about improving his image for the public, which means dressing him in a suit and forcing him to shed the "biker dude" persona. No way! When Wild Thing finally returns to his old ways (don't worry, I'm not giving anything away) you just want to jump up and cheer like you're at the game yourself and sing along to "Wild Thing." The coach (James Gammon) returns and has a funny subplot in which he passes out from a heart attack, getting sent to the hospital and not being allowed to watch baseball since doctors feel it'll be detrimental to his health. So he listens to the big game through a portable radio. The final scene with him in the hospital is hilarious and he has a memorable line, which I unfortunately can't give away since it's at the very end. In the booth, we have Bob Uecker who once again supplies his hysterically funny commentary on each game. Adding to the initial cast, we have Eric Bruskotter as the new catcher, who's very funny as the stereotypical hick who keeps bios of "Playboy" centerfolds hanging on his walls. Adding to the crowd, we have Randy Quaid as an obsessed baseball fan who loses his faith in Wild Thing after his big transition: "Wild Thing! You make my butt sting! You make every-thing...embarrassing!"
The plot is predictable. Don't expect any surprises. But the lovable characters and grand slam comedy helps rise above its shortcomings. Not to mention the exciting baseball footage.
If you fell in love with the first one, you'll fall in love with the sequel! Take me out to the ballgame!
My score: 7 (out of 10)