Kicking & Screaming (2005) Movie Review, Trailer, Film Still and Poster

USA 2005
Director: Jesse Dylan
Cast: Will Ferrell, Robert Duvall, Kate Walsh, Mike Ditka, Dylan McLaughlin, Steven Anthony Lawrence
Rating: PG
Release Date: May 13th 2005
Running Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

The Movie Review

Kicking and Screaming film still

Uplifting for kids


KICKING & SCREAMING
Storyline:
Cast:
Ending:
Overall:

There is always something refreshing in seeing sports movies. Some of them explore the women’s world, inmates, real athletes, and some other worlds. But some of them simply explore the kid’s world. The kids sports besides refreshing is also affecting. The Famous Comedian Will Ferrell is now trying to score some points with his latest movie Kicking and Screaming. It's not very surprising if a Will Ferrell role in sports movie, since he has a degree in Sport information and studied Sport Broadcasting, so sport is a part of his life I suppose.

Phil Weston (Will Ferrell) is a son of an over-competitive father. A father (Robert Duvall) who is extremely really into sports, and so Phil feels the need to make his father proud and tries to be the winner in every kind of sport only to end up as a loser. Years later Phil is now married to Barbara (Kate Walsh) and they have a son Sam Weston (Dylan McLaughlin). Sam joins the soccer team coached by his Grandpa Buck (Robert Duvall, Phil's dad) but never got played and functions only as a benchwarmer; finally Sam is transferred to the Tigers by Buck. The Tigers is a team of rag-tag kids and the worst in the league.

Phil sees the similar thing that has happened to him during his childhood and he determines not to let his son endure the same embarrassment. So Phil decides to coach the Tigers and hopes that he and Sam could finally defeat Buck.

Will Ferrell's acting normally, however his "normality" is somehow backfires to him that he looks awkward and confused with the dialogue. That's not that big of a deal, although I was kind of hoping that he would perform much better since the last time in Bewitched, even though both movies were not his best performances. Robert Duvall is more like a mafia boss but probably that is what the character needs. Kate Walsh although has a minor role but she looks convincing as an thoughtful and supportive wife.

The color tone of the movie is also refreshing with the green colour of the grass and the yellow ray of sunlight, it's beautiful...just exactly what a feel-good movie of sports supposed to use. As for the storyline itself, well, there are no twists and turns. Everything is generic, we all know right from the very first minutes that the film is going have a happy ending, but it's a feel-good movie and about kids! Who doesn't want a happy ending?

The biggest drawback however, the drama scenes are sometimes annoying, it's not affecting and disappointing. It's normal to add some drama to make the end scene looks much better; nonetheless it doesn't have to be unpleasant.

Talking about the most important aspect of this movie, which is the comedy, well I laugh out loud for a couple of moments. The jokes are far from dirty, they're safe for kids. We certainly won't find the jokes Will Ferrell used in Old School, but for a clean and gentle jokes, I am amused by them. For that reasoning, I could forgive the Irrationality of the humor.

Kicking & Screaming is certainly not the best kids sports movie, but it's also slightly above mediocrity. I guess there are still many better comedy movies from Ferrell, or from other comedians. Nevertheless if you feel like seeing it, then it's still quite worth your time.

© iwan pranowo of Movielogy.com