Sunday, March 19, 2023

Champions (2023) * * 1/2


Directed by:  Bobby Farrelly

Starring:  Woody Harrelson, Kaitlin Olson, Cheech Marin, Kevin Iannucci, Ernie Hudson, Matt Cook, Madison Tevlin, Joshua Felder, Ashton Gunning, James Day Keith, Casey Metcalfe

Bobby Farrelly's Champions reunites Farrelly with his Kingpin (1996) star Woody Harrelson in a more traditional sports comedy in which the players are intellectually disabled and teach their beleaguered coach a thing or two about relating to players on a personal level.  

Marcus Marokovich (Harrelson) is an assistant J-League basketball coach who is fired after shoving his head coach (Hudson) during a timeout when he disagrees with the head coach's play call.   After his firing, Marcus is busted for DUI after rear-ending a police car and sentenced to coach a team of Special Olympians at a local rec center for ninety days.   Champions doesn't deviate from the formula it sets for itself.  The troubled coach will have difficulty relating to the players, then the underdog team will gel, personal troubles will occur before the team gathers itself before The Big Game.   Do they win the Big Game?  I'll leave that for you to discover.  

Champions wins no points for freshness or originality, but it is still likable and at some points sweet.  It's engaging enough, although overly long, and it's not the worst way to kill two hours.   If it were to appear on television a few months from now, I may consider watching it again if nothing else better is on.  


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