Will Ferrellis currently dominating the streaming charts withhis moving new documentary,Will & Harper. And perhaps it’s Ferrell’s name being in the media that’s caused his fans to seek out his previous work to propel that up the charts too. That seems to be what’s happened with hiscult classic sports comedySemi-Prowhich is currently making a surprising comeback on Hulu, shooting its way into the Top 10 on the streaming platform.
Semi-Protakes place in the 1970s and revolves aroundJackie Moon, played by Ferrell, a former one-hit-wonder turned owner-coach-player of the Flint Tropics, a fictional struggling basketball team in the American Basketball Association (ABA). The plot of the movie follows the absurd attempts by Moon to keep the team afloat as the ABAA merges with the National Basketball Association (NBA). Moon resorts to using outrageous stunts and bizarre promo tactics to attempt to achieve not only glory, but just to keep the team alive. Alongside Ferrell’s trademark zany energy, the movie also has an ensemble cast including the likes ofWoody Harrelson, André Benjamin, and Maura Tierney.
When it hit theaters, though, it was hit with a rough crowd as critics found it lacking compared to some of Ferrell’s previous work.The film only has a score of 23% on Rotten Tomatoes,with a rough 39% audience score (or Popcornmeter as it’s now known), and it struggled to get into the game, finishing its theatrical run with just $44 million at the box office.
What Other Sports Movies Has Will Ferrell Made?
It’s fair to say Ferrell is a fan of a sports movie, though. As Ricky Bobby would say, “If you ain’t first, you’re last”, and it definitely seems likeSemi-Prowasn’t first. Ferrell’s better entries in the sports genre are a finer example of what he can offer.He’s turned NASCAR into a rollercoaster of nonsense inTalladega Nights,while inBlades of Glory, he turned figure skating into chaos that rivalled WWE for sheer showmanship, complete with ridiculous choreography, tight spandex and fabulous hair. So it’s hard to say whySemi-Prodidn’t quite hit the way the others did, but hopefully with more eyes getting on the movie, it might start to get a second chance in the eyes of the doubters.
Semi-Prois now streaming on Hulu, and Ferrell’sWill & Harperis currently on Netflix. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates on your favourite movies.
