Rating of
2.5/4
Almost a Strike Out
The M.O.W. - wrote on 08/01/08
Ten years ago, a Milwaukee Brewers baseball player's (Bernie Mac) fantasy became reality when he hit his 3000th career hit. After the game, he announces his retirement from the game where he has a love/hate relationship with fans and sportscasters. Years later, he is trying to get into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, however a clerical error is discovered and it is learned that he is actually a few hits short of his record 3000 career hits. Now, the team owner decides to have "Ross" return to the Brewers, who retired his number, to try to get those last few hits and regain his mark, and to get attendance at games up.
Now all he has to do is get back into game shape, and work with the now-lackluster team headed by an up-and-coming star (Brian J. White) that reminds him of the way he was during his career.
Mr. 3000 runs on a few sight gags and verbal jokes -- most of which only makes you chuckle. There are no real laugh-out-loud jokes anywhere in this film.
Bernie Mac as the lead character, "Stan Ross" is actually pretty good. You start off hating "Ross", but slowly warm up to him as his temperament slowly improves as the movie goes on. You may find a lot of players in real-life today much like "Ross" is during his original career at the start of the movie. However, his comedic timing seems forced into many scenes.
The premise of the movie is somewhat believable, but I don't think any player who hasn't played in a decade or more would actually go back on the field on a regular basis. The on-field games are well done, and the inserts of actual sports shows and TV commercials into scenes are done quite nicely. The supporting cast is barely defined, with many not on screen all that much. The love story isn't all that much believable, and neither are "Ross'" friendships.
The ending is not the best, in fact it's just "Ross" giving highlights of what happened after his final game.
Baseball fans might like this one a bit more than the rest of the audience out there -- that includes fans of The Bernie Mac Show
