Kicking and Screaming

I’ll give you a hint about the plot for Kicking and Screaming: it’s two hours of Will Ferrell doing the same shtick that he always does. Except this time he’s inserted into a kid’s soccer movie.

Will Ferrell plays Phil Weston, a reserved husband and father who is constantly failing to live up to his father’s expectations. Phil’s father, Buck Weston (Robert Duvall) is a sports tyrant, who coaches a little league soccer team on which his other, much younger son Bucky Jr., plays. Bucky Jr. happens to be the same age as Phil’s son, Sam, and he is also far superior to Sam in terms of athletic talent. Phil decides to coach Sam’s team of misfits and eventually becomes so obsessed with beating his father that he becomes a tyrant himself.

Blah blah blah blah, Will Ferrell does something ridiculous and slapstick, blah blah blah blah, Will Ferrell yells at little kids, blah blah blah, Will Ferrell drinks too much coffee, blah blah blah for two more hours.

Actually there were a few moments of genuine humor in the movie, as you’ll find even in the worst of comedies, but tragically the comedic value of this film hinges solely upon the performance of Will Ferrell. I suppose if you enjoy his type of humor being shoved down your throat in relentless and repetitive doses, then you’ll find this movie hysterical. I myself prefer him in smaller, more supplementary roles. Mike Ditka was entertaining in his brief appearances as…himself. He plays the role of Mike Ditka: next door neighbor and mortal enemy of Buck Weston, and he is reduced to being angry and intimidating for the duration of the film. The misfit kids on Sam’s team are full of wit and well-timed sarcasm, which is absolutely unheard of in these types of movies. Never before have I seen children who are portrayed as both wise beyond their years and sassy to their authority figures. It was truly groundbreaking. I knew I was in serious trouble, however, when the source of comedy became a kid eating a worm. Twice.

Needless to say, this movie is a waste of two hours. It wasn’t painful to watch so much as it just wasn’t very interesting. I grew tired of the same repetitiveness that I knew I would have to endure when I walked into the theater. I suppose kids would like this movie, but otherwise, it’s really nothing new.