Bad News Bears (DVD, 2005, Widescreen)

Hollywood's tradition of remaking classic movies continues with this 21st-century updating of the 1976 romp, THE BAD NEWS BEARS. Acclaimed director Richard Linklater (THE SCHOOL OF ROCK, DAZED AND CONFUSED) pays respect to Michael Ritchie's original film by updating it rather than reinventing it. Stepping into the tough-to-fill shoes of Walter Matthau, Billy Bob Thornton plays the liquor-swilling, foulmouthed Morris Buttermaker, who has agreed to coach a Little League team for the paycheck. Unfortunately for him, his assembled team consists of the league's most inept outcasts. Gradually, however, Buttermaker's determination wins out, to the point where he recruits an ex-girlfriend's gifted daughter, Amanda Whurlitzer (Sammi Kane Kraft), to step onto the pitcher's mound. The team is complete when local bad boy Kelly Leak (Jeffrey Davies) lends his overflowing talent to the cause. Soon, the Bears are climbing their way to the top of the standings, resulting in a championship showdown with the Yankees, who are managed by the ridiculously pompous Coach Bullock (Greg Kinnear). As with 2003's THE SCHOOL OF ROCK, Linklater proves he has an uncanny ability to draw out compelling performances from child actors. But it is Thornton who steals the show. Incorporating elements from his characters in BAD SANTA and FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, his variation on the Morris Buttermaker character is another finely crafted achievement, a reprehensible man who somehow remains likeable and compelling. The script from Glenn Ficarra and John Requa throws a few modern curveballs into the mix, yet they still remain faithful to Bill Lancaster's original vision, resulting in a crowd-pleasing film that is definitely not intended for young children.

Billy Bob Thornton took filmgoers by surprise in 1994's Sling Blade, emerging as one of the screen's most skillful character actors. So who could have guessed, a mere decade later, he would become Hollywood's foremost on-screen degenerate? Thanks to his matter-of-fact intensity and smooth southern drawl, Thornton's taken on a few authoritarian roles (Armageddon, Friday Night Lights). But an unforgettable cameo as a lecherous American president in Love Actually and the hilarious, MPAA-defying Bad Santa apparently created a whole new niche for B.B.T. It didn't take long for studio alchemists to throw a remake of 1976's The Bad News Bears his way, even offering the re-write to Bad Santa scribes Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. Thornton stars as Morris Buttermaker, a womanizing, down-on-his-luck former baseball player who spends his days working as an exterminator. The opportunity to scrape together some extra cash coaching little-league ball comes his way, thanks to attorney Liz Whitewood (Marcia Gay Harden) — even then, Buttermaker can do little but get soused during practice while his misfit team of middle-schoolers wonder why he's there (or themselves, for that matter). But after a rivalry develops between Buttermaker and championship-winning coach Roy Bullock (Greg Kinnear), he recruits two ringers for his team: estranged stepdaughter Amanda Whurlitzer (Sammi Kane Kraft), who throws the hardball better than most boys, and dirt-bike-riding rebel Kelly Leak (Jeffrey Davies), who fields and slugs like a young Ken Griffey Jr. Those who enjoyed Billy Bob Thornton in Bad Santa, as he cursed with drunken exasperation while young children sat on his knee, will find many of the same laughs in 2005's Bad News Bears as he heaps abuse upon little-leaguers and adults alike — the film's PG-13 rating ensures that the air doesn't turn too blue, but scenarists Ficarra & Requa are allowed to write for an actor they know pretty well ("You can love baseball, but it doesn't always love you back," a wistful Buttermaker tells his kids. "It's kind of like dating a German chick."). The mere fact that the movie smells like a pitch-meeting (Billy Bob! Bad News Bears!) is an easy strike against it, but the execution is agreeable enough — Thornton doesn't quite match Walter Matthau's original performance but he's also one of the few leading men out there who could star in a remake of this classic with some credibility. Like Thornton, director Richard Linklater is a baseball veteran (he a college player, Thornton a former minor-leaguer), which keeps the direction honest. And while the kids still have the same central-casting appeal (this time with a few twists), the fact that most were complete amateurs keeps the whole affair fresh and slightly off-kilter. There's little reason why fans of the original Bad News Bears would dislike the 2005 update — but then again, with the characters and plot left virtually intact.

Let me start off by disclosing I don't like remakes in general. I find it wasteful and dishonest to film an "updated" version of an old film if the original source material remains relevant, i.e. story and characters etc...

The Plus side to doing remakes seems to introduce younger generations to older films and if done correctly can actually enhance the original while building its own following. This is the case with this film. Billy Bob Thornton captures the washed up and out coach perfectly without destroying Walter Matheau's original character. The language and antics may be cruder, but that just reflects society and the audiences' tastes for our current time and in no way detracts from the comic aspects it aims for. The original team players are all accounted for and stay true to their origins too which alleviates a big concern for older buffs like myself.

Tanner is still Tanner, Kelly is still a big game player and Amanda still out pitches the competition. With these core players intact the film also brings in some gradual updates and some new characters to help diversify the team and show that "losers" of all types can join for a common goal and overcome adversity and earn respect for themselves. This message is still there and remains true for any underdog out there in both versions. To thier credit both movies never hammer that point home in sappy easy to decipher see it coming a mile away scripts, but rather let it evolve easily enough.

Its a comedy first and foremost and those looking for laughs certainly will find some here if they give it a chance. This film succeeds in all areas from script, casting and performances to filming and deserves to stand along the original as a enjoyable experience. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for some laughs and a feel good movie with some twists. In this movie as in life winning is hard to define, but always worth chasing.

the bad news bears remake is a perfect example of how to redo a classic comedy without wrecking it. billy bob thorton is hilarious and the writers did great job updating the one-liners rather than simply rehashing the original script. great movie for adults, but the language may not be suitable for a younger audience.

The movie is Okay. I actually bought the wrong version of the move. I thought it was the Bad News Bears movie with Walter Matthou from when I was a child. I wanted it for my baseball team when we had an end of the season retreat. Unfortunately, the movie had too much swearing and was not a rating for the kids age. I had the chance to watch it and was not humored, like I was with the original version.