Customer Reviews

Kicking & Screaming

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(25)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Will Ferrell is always funny, and the part of Phil Weston would seem to be tailor-made for his comedic antics. Phil's basically a little boy in a man's body, a little boy who wants to finally prove himself to his father and make up for never having met the old man's expectations. Robert Duvall lends the film an importance presence and additional laughs as the highly competitive Buck Weston, sporting goods king and highly successful coach of the Youth Soccer League Gladiators team. Phil (Ferrell) has never been able to get a leg up on his father - but certainly not from lack of effort. When he got married, his father got re-married; when he had a son, his father's wife gave birth to a son (slightly larger, of course) the same day. Young Sam and his equally young uncle Bucky play for the Gladiators, Buck's team, and they are all but unbeatable. Sam, though, is the proverbial benchwarmer, so Buck decides to trade his own grandson to the league's worst team. Yes, it's another team of misfits of all shapes and sizes that just need an incredible coach to take them to unsuspected glory. That coach is nowhere to be seen, and Phil ends up taking on the job.

That's when the competitive juices start flowing. The first big move Phil makes is to take on an assistant coach, his dad's neighbor and long-time enemy Mike Ditka. Iron Mike is surprisingly good in this film and more than holds his own beside both Ferrell and Duvall. He only takes the job to try and make Buck's life more difficult, but he soon goes about whipping the little misfits into shape. The team still stinks, but their fortunes begin to change when Ditka and Phil bring in two new players, a pair of Italian kids who were apparently born with soccer balls balanced on their feet. The team begins winning, and with every win Phil goes a little more cuckoo for cocoa puffs; his new coffee addiction doesn't really help, either. Sure, it's funny to watch Ferrell go about inspiring his team in pretty unorthodox ways, but it eventually gets to the point that the whole thing stops being funny. Even Ditka can't get behind telling the kids to cheat (without getting caught, of course) or break a few clavicles. Ferrell's character just goes so over-the-top that you just want to slap him; he lets the desire to beat his dad corrupt him completely, and the lack of moderation in the second half of the film is a real negative.

There are a lot of laughs to be had in Kicking and Screaming. It's exceedingly formulaic and predictable, but that doesn't matter all that much as long as the laughs keep coming. The script just takes Ferrell's character way too far over the line; watching a crazy guy coach soccer is funny, but watching a freak going bonkers on the sidelines is more annoying than anything else. The film could really have used more Ditka in the later stages. Don't go thinking this is some cameo by Iron Mike; he gets a lot of screen time, and he makes this movie better and funnier with all of his trademark habits.

In the end, Kicking and Screaming is a very funny movie, but it's not a great comedy. Despite excellent performances all around (especially Ditka's), the film is just too over-the-top for its own good. You can't say the movie tries to be anything more than it is, though - it's all about generating laughs and nothing else.

I'm a huge fan of Will Ferrell and so I was excited when this movie was released. Although I never got a chance to see it in the theater I rushed to buy the DVD once it was released much to my wife's dismay, since she doesn't share the same love of Ferrell. The greatest thing about this film is that, while Ferrell may have to reign in some of the outlandish remarks that make him so funny in order to keep a lower rating and appeal to children and parents alike, he still maintains the same enthusiasm for his work and delivers a performance that is over the top, hilarious and spontaneous, and one that even my wife found enjoyable. That's probably one of the most commendable traits here. It serves as a really great family sports comedy, appealing to children but also giving the parents something to laugh at.

The film follows Phil Weston as he matches wits with his stubborn and overbearing father Buck. Buck, played by Robert Duvall, has always been disappointed with Phil who never shared his father's love of sports and everything manly. Instead Phil grew up to run a vitamin store, something Buck is somewhat ashamed of. Throughout Phil's life his father always had to be the best, even if that meant trampling his own son down in the process, and now, years later when Phil's son Sammy gets the same treated from his dear old Grandpa, Phil has to take maters into his own hands. He does that by offering to coach the loser team Buck traded Sammy to. Buck is unsupportive but in the end it's the competition between the two Weston men that finally bonds them like they've never been before.

Will Ferrell shines here, with all the quarks and loud mouthed antics that make his more adult oriented fare so entertaining. As Phil ditches his vitamins for coffee he becomes loud, obnoxious and downright out of control and it all adds up to a great deal of fun. Duvall is also effective as Buck. He's rude, mean and at times a downright tyrant. The first time I watched this movie his character actually made me angry. Mike Ditka is actually really funny as himself here. All the children are effective and funny in their own rights as well.

The story is a sweet one at that, showing the importance of letting your children have fun and be themselves, of not adding undue pressure to their success and never allowing your own insecurities and self doubts to ruin your relationship with your child. It shows the good and bad side of competition and the dangers of taking things too far. But, in the end `Kicking and Screaming' is just good old fun and is one that the whole family can enjoy together time and time again. I loved this movie (found it much more entertaining than the `Bad News Bears' remake released around the same time) and highly recommend it. It may not be the best sports comedy out there, but what it lacks in originality it makes up in laughs.

Kicking and Screaming is another underdog sports story with the requisite funny guy who has to help the losing team become winners. In this movie, the funny guy is played by Will Ferrell and the losing team hits close to home because his son is a member.

All of his life Phil Weston (Ferrell) lived in the shadow of his father's sports aspirations. He was clumsy, uncoordinated and never really succeeded at any of the sports he tried; Phil's father, Buck Weston "King of Sporting Goods," has always been disappointed in his son's athletic prowess and the two have a running air of competition throughout their lives. When Phil gets engaged, his father does too. When Phil's son is born, the same day he gets a little brother. All of this leads up to Buck coaching a little league soccer team that both boys participate in. However, Phil's son, true to form, is benched most of the time and eventually traded to a rival team where Phil becomes the coach. With the help of a caffeine addiction, soccer DVDs, and former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka, Phil does everything in his power to try to beat his father's team in the championships.

This movie is like so many other underdog sports stories like The Benchwarmers, Dodgeball, and Ladybugs, but fun nonetheless. The deleted scenes and outtakes are also not to be missed. Overall, if you're a fan of Will Ferrell and kiddie sports movies, you can't go wrong with Kicking and Screaming.

Okay, so sports movies are a dime-a-dozen, as are Will Ferrell movies. The difference is that sports movies can get repetitive and boring, while Ferrell movies can get repetitive but, at least to me, are never boring. I love Will, I just think he's absolutely hilarious, and his character in 'Kicking and Screaming' is no exception!

Ferrell plays Phil Weston, a vitamin salesman who lives under a shell his over critical father Buck (Duvall who is brilliantly evil here) placed him in as a child. Phil swore never to do that to his son who seemed to get the same sports handicaps that Phil grew up with. When Buck trades his own grandson to the loser team this sends Phil into a vengeful state, to the point where he enlists the help of Mike Ditka (yes, the real Ditka) to help him coach the team of misfit children in order to play his fathers team of super athletes.

Phil's transformation from shy and timid to uncontrollably competitive is absolutely hilarious! This may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it has enough in it to satisfy any fan of Ferrell and even some who just want a decent family comedy. Unlike the similar 'Bad News Bears' 'Kicking and Screaming' has nothing offensive and is just plain clean fun. I recommend it.

Let's get a few things straight right off the bat, okay?
1. Not every movie ever made has to be thought provoking and artistically satisfying.
2. Will Ferrell will probably never be mentioned in the same breath as De Niro and Pacino.
If you can get on board with these two statements, then you might just enjoy "Kicking & Screaming". Let's face it, the premise is almost absurd, but isn't absurdity the stuff of good comedy?

Phil Weston (Will Ferrell) is upset that his son Sam is nothing more than a bench warmer on the soccer team coached by his father Buck Weston (Robert Duvall). To appease Phil, Buck trades Sam to a rival soccer team so he can get more playing time, and through a series of events Phil becomes the coach of Sam's new team. The only problem is Phil knows nothing about soccer. What follows is a string of hilarious moments that culminate with a Father versus Son coached championship match.

As a whole this is not a great movie, but there are many moments that are laugh out loud hilarious, and it seems the more you watch it, the more you like it. Ferrell is in rare form as he slowly transforms from the milquetoast, quiet, inept coach to the win at all cost clone of his father. His rants will leave you with a ton of quotable lines that will make you laugh just thinking about them. Obviously Will Ferrell movies are targeted to a specific audience; I guess I happen to be one of them.

Grade: B
Recommendation: Buy it, if you can get it cheap

I looked forward to watching this film ever since I heard of the premise and that it would be starring Will Ferrell and Robert Duvall. Although I ready some initial poor reviews, I thought, "How could it miss?". Well, I hate to say it, but this film falls pretty flat. It has a few funny moments, but not enough to justify spending 1 1/2 hours of your life on this film.

First of all, Robert Duvall plays his role perfectly. He should have been the focus of the film. I can't think of better casting than him for this role. He is one of the finest actors of our time and he shows his versatility in this film.

The problem is the the writing and the character played by Will Farrell. Instead of making him funny with a serious side, which would have drawn our interest, they make him absurd and ridiculous. Although I like Will Ferrell, he has nothing to work with here. Watching many of the ridiculous gags he had to endure, I turned away in embarassment for him, rather than laughing. Think of the movie "Parenthood". It had a lot of funny scenes, but it also had a serious side that made it real. Steve Martin played a role in that film that would have fit perfectly into "Kicking and Screaming", but the writers chose to write Will Ferrells character like they based it on an "Ernest goes to ..." movie.

While Robert Duvall and Will Ferrell fans will be tempted to see this movie, I can't imagine many will think this is a good film. Save your money for something better.

If you can stand to get through the first half...the last half is much better. Not Ferrell's best... Elf so far has been his best!!!
There is good storyline with this. And the fact just having fun is more than actually winning!!!
Rent don't buy!!!

This is a cute picture about father and son rivalry that finally gets squashed by a game of soccer....Will Ferrell and Robert Duvall play father and son, who through the years cannot seem to get it together, Duvall's character (Bucky Weston) seems to find fault in everything that his son (Paul)does, and when the two have sons on the same day...it crosses over to the next generation!! Paul's son Sam plays on a soccer team that grandpa Buck coaches, only to be left as the bench warmer...then gets traded to the other team....by his own grandfather!
When the other teams coach does not show up to a game, Paul takes over....watch the antics as the team with uncoordinated, goofy players run down the track to.....you figure it out!!
Great movie about family and teamwork....:)

This is another very funny comedy from the "Nut of the Decade" Will Ferrell! ferrell plays the coach of his kids soccer team and he has to go up against his father who happens to be the "all time winning coach of the town" wackiness ensues!

I'm not sure if anybody noticed but Kicking And Screaming reminds me a lot of a great classic film called The Little Giants and yes that movie is from my generation, I was 6 and never stopped watching it. My point is that this film is really like the little giants for the new generation of kids. You see a lot of actors who are getting older like Eddie Murphy but in this case Will Ferrell that are realizing that they want to put out films that kids can enjoy. I really don't think Will was intending a bunch of couples and grown people coming to see this movie with no kids in hand. The film borrows the concept of little giants except it's Father's team competing against the underdog son's team and its soccer.

Though this movie didn't reach the greatness of little giants it may be this generation's classic. It's a very enjoyable film even if you are a soccer coach or you enjoy soccer. I think all that really matters is if this movie is safe for your child to watch and will it make them laugh and keep them occupied, trust me it will. The soccer action is very powerful but most of the highlight plays are from the very talented children from Italy will recruited to make his bad team better. Will does a great job and so does Mike Ditka who added some heat to the mix. I wrote this review to let parents know that it's a great family film that will give a lot of laughs, drop a few jaws after seeing how amazing some of the kids are, and give the kids something to do other than bug you. I see a lot of people taking kids movies too seriously like their trying to win an Oscar but all in all Kicking and Screaming is pretty good.