BASEketball
is a 1998 film about two slacker friends, Joe "Coop" and Doug Reemer,
who after deciding that they need to make something of their lives, inadvertently
create a new sport that is a mix between Baseball and Basketball. Yet, as their
sport begins to flourish on a national level, one greedy businessman tries to
monetize their newly formed professional league and threatens to cause an
irreparable rift in their lifelong friendship.
The
film has an extremely strong opening. Using voice over narration transposed
onto classic sports images from the past, it explains how sports used to be an
outlet for respectful competition and a test of strength/will. It then, in a
satirical and extremely exaggerated fashion, goes into how sports has become
over commercialized and nothing more than an industry of corporations and
cities fighting over money. It does this in a very humorous and impactful way.
Sadly, the promising beginning of the film quickly falls flat once the actual
story begins to unfold. As the focus switches to the lives of Coop and Reemer,
as portrayed surprisingly well by South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey
Parker, the humor turns from smart and subtle, to immature and explicit. The
jokes eventually reach a gross out level that provides no sort of humor for the
viewer. The main reason I was drawn to the film in the first place was due to
the collaboration of Parker and Stone, yet, their normal brand of humor that I
have come to expect and love is not present in BASEketball at all.
Nonetheless,
for a mindless comedy, David Zucker provides just enough capable direction for
the film to be considered enjoyable. The story has a good premise, the acting
is good, and the soundtrack, which features a number of Reel Big Fish tunes, is
full of fun music. Even with its many faults, it’s still a movie worth checking
out as long as you go into it with low expectations!
