Today’s quick review: Major League. When the Cleveland Indians’ new owner (Margaret Whitton) gets an offer to move the team to Miami, she sets about ensuring that the team has a bad enough season that she can justify the move. She hires a grizzled coach (James Gammon) to guide the team to what she hopes will be a spectacular string of losses. The new roster includes a washed-up catcher with bad knees (Tom Berenger), a hotheaded convict with a killer fastball (Charlie Sheen), a heavy hitter with an unorthodox set of beliefs (Dennis Haysbert), a lively sprinter who talks his way onto the team (Wesley Snipes), and a vain free agent with a bad attitude (Corbin Bernsen). But when the team begins to get its act together, the owner ramps up her sabotage to ensure that the Indians remain a team of losers.
Major League is an underdog sports comedy with an ensemble cast. The team that the coach puts together is full of untapped talent. Charlie Sheen plays Ricky Vaughn, a delinquent picther with a powerful arm but little control. Wesley Snipes plays Willie Mays Hayes, a sprinter who is top-notch at stealing bases but who can only hit fly balls. Tom Berenger plays Jake Taylor, a veteran catcher whose wants one last season of success to win back his old girlfriend. Corbin Bernsen plays Roger Dorn, a skilled player whose ego gets in the way of his teamwork. The colorful characters are a joy to watch through failures and successes.
Major League has a persistent, character-based humor that makes it a light and interesting watch. Each character has a brief arc to go through, and their travails individually and as a team are the source of much of the movie’s humor. No one joke is outrageous, but the culmination of individual quirks and an underdog plot is enough to bring a big smile to the viewer’s face. Watch it when you’re in the mood for a fun, well-executed comedy. Skip it if you’re looking for something a little meatier.
7.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it 7.0 to 7.5 for enjoyable humor.