BASEketball

Rating:
Summary: An unfairly maligned classic
Review: I have never, ever laughed so hard in a movie theater as when I went to see this movie, and my friends that I went with were laughing just as hard. Come to think of it, everyone I've known who's seen this film has enjoyed it, although I'll admit that most of those with whom I associate share my somewhat warped sense of humor. Anyway, on to the movie. BASEketball works so well for a simple reason: beneath all the sight gags, sex jokes, pop-culture references, and celebrity cameos (all of which are funny), it is a surprisingly perceptive look at sports in American society. From the opening montage, it is clear that BASEketball is premised upon the commercialization (and some would say corruption) of American sports, setting the stage for its redemption by the starry-eyed fans played by Parker and Stone. This examination of the place sports occupies in the hearts and minds of Americans is what allows BASEketball to transcend the limits of the usual sophomoric comedy fare. If you're a sports fan, and not above laughing at some admittedly juvenile humor, you will have no trouble enjoying this movie.

Rating:
Summary: Simply the Best
Review: I don't know who screwed up at the movie studio that put out this movie, but BASEKETBALL, is simply the best comedy I have seen in years. I saw it three times already because each time i find that I missed a couple really funny jokes because I was too busy laughing so hard. Parker and Stone (South Park) were great, Squeak Scolar (Dian Bahar?) was the best third wheel I have ever seen in a movie. Ernest Borgnine (forgive the spelling) made an awsome Cameo as did Robert Stack, in the funniest "unsolved Mysteries" ever. Yasmine was beautiful and perfect for her role and Jenny McCarthy was the icing on the cake. I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THIS MOVIE TO ANYONE WITH A SENSE OF HUMOR. If you don't have one, go buy a Costner movie...aisle 4.

Rating:
Summary: Humor Only a Prepubescent Boy Could Love...
Review: Okay, so I'm not a prepubescent boy. I'm a nearly thirty-year-old woman who was made to watch this ridiculous film quite against her will... And, damn it if I nearly peed my pants with laughter!

However, I do not recommend this to anyone who dislikes bathroom humor on principle. Though each joke is well-executed, each corny, melodramatic quip delivered with deliberately dewy-eyed sincerity, it is unapologetically juvenile, raunchy, and pretends to have no amount of redeeming value. But even its lack of values came as a surprise to me, for I can't help but give it more credit than it seems to give itself for having very strong underlying themes of maintaining integrity (believe it or not), and of course, friendship.

Bottom line - if you're looking for good clean fun, this is not for you; but if you're feeling a little off-color, goofy and in the mood for a guilty pleasure, this is a film that, at the least, will make you laugh in spite of yourself.

Rating:
Summary: An underrated treasure
Review: Disgusting? Check. Juvenile? Check. Sadistic? Check. BASEketball is all these things, but it is also so much more, thanks to the Zucker (Airplane, Top Secret!, Naked Gun) touch.

Though it stars Matt Stone and Trey Parker, BASEketball doesn't really resemble South Park so much as Zucker's other straight-faced screwball comedies, and it's obvious these two fit into that rubric perfectly. It is not merely that Matt Stone puts a sex toy in his mouth, it is the zeal with which he attacks it that makes the scene a gut-buster. Zucker supposedly cast the duo before South Park became such a phenomenon, and it's a gamble that paid off artistically.

Not everyone's gonna like this movie. Some won't get it, a few more might be really turned off by a guy-on-guy kiss near the movie's climax, and the rest just won't find it funny for whatever reason. For everyone else, there's no shame in howling with laughter.

Rating:
Summary: It's this new game we learned...in the hood!
Review: BASEketball is a surprisingly clever comedy that works on many different levels. While it parodies feel-good sports movies it also posts a savage social commentary on the commercialization of American sports and American life in general. The movie stars South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, however it wasn't written by them, so fans of South Park and Orgazmo may find the movie a little tame. However, with David Zucker (of "Airplane!" fame) at the helm, the movie skips along merrily, with plenty of sight gags, running jokes, and one-liners. I also think it's prudish to call this a "gross-out" comedy - there's nothing on a par with the "frank and beans" scene in "...Mary" for the squeamish to avoid. Instead most of the humor revolves around the male bonding displayed by Trey, Matt and diminutive co-star Dian Bachar. The rituals of teasing, name-calling and hazing have rarely been portrayed as lovingly on screen before...
Numerous guest star appearances begin to drag toward the end of the film, but the acute social satire never lets up, and in the end the movie has a saccharine, feel-good flavor. In fact, the only reason this picked up an idiotic R rating must've been the habitual usage of the f-word. Otherwise there's no sex, no nudity, no violence and frankly the language wouldn't really shock an 8 yr old these days. But these are the censored times we live in...
Anyway, BASEketball is great, it zips along merrily, you have to pay close attention to get some of the more subtle gags and the pace slacks toward the end, but all in all I think you'll watch it enough to warrant buying over renting.

Rating:
Summary: Psyched out
Review: I was considering watching this in the theatres when it first came out, but was turned off by the almost nonexistant box-office receipts and negative reviews. With these two factors against it, how could 'BaseketBall' possibly be a decent experience to watch? I waited 'til it came out to rent on video. The result was a pleasant- and welcome- surprise.

I've seen just about every movie that the Zucker brothers have produced, from 'Kentucky Fried Movie' to 'Airplane!' to 'Naked Gun', and found each one to be riotously funny... at least the first time around. With subsequent viewings, I found the funny factor to diminish exponentially. I can't even stand to glimpse them anymore. What a sad end for such brilliant satire that I highly enjoyed the first time I watched them.

Although only one of the Zuckers took on the making of 'BaseketBall', it broke the chain of 'One-View Wonders'. Despite it's utter retardedness, I find 'BaseketBall' to be just as hilarious the dozenth time around. And, being a sports fan who's become jaded by the crass commercialism of professional competition, I loved how many shots this movie took at the very things that have turned me off to sports. The stadiums becoming billboards in and of themselves, the overzealous showmanship, the moving of franchises from one city to another, athlete delinquency... and this is just the first five minutes!

There are also plenty of strange sight gags and dry one-liners that are to be expected in a Zucker-driven genre parody, both relating to sports and otherwise. Robert Stack takes on and satirizes his own role as the host of 'Unsolved Mysteries'. And, as others have said before, Ernest Borgnine belting out "I'm Too Sexy" at his character's video will reading is legendary. One can see why he's never appeared in many musicals. There's even some nice, light moments with real-life announcers Al Michaels and Bob Costas as they broadcast the Milwaukee Beers' play-by-play.

Does Trey Parker and Matt Stone of 'South Park' fame work fairly well as the movie's main characters? I believe so. Both exude the look and attitude of stereotypical slacker-loser buddies. They're definitely the right guys for the roles. Speaking of 'South Park', you'll also find out who does the voices of Cartman and Mr. Garrison. Don't deny it... you've been dying to know for the longest time, haven't you?

'Late...

Rating:
Summary: I love it, but it's not for everyone.
Review: I love this movie! I live in Australia and it went sraight to video over here, probably beacause it made very little money at the box office in America. But don't let either of these facts put you off. The only thing that should put you off this movie is if it's just not for you, which is pretty likey in today's political-correctness-obsessed society. But if you're willing to remind yourself that it's just a joke, and that they mean nothing by it, you may actually have a good time.
Personally, I thought it was great. Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the guys who created South Park, star as a pair of lifelong friends, and losers, who create a game which is a cross between baseball and basketball (hence the name BASEketball). They're not serious about it, and are just doing it for fun, but when a famous billionaire decides to sponser them to go pro, they become overnight superstars. From here on in, the whole thing becomes downright silly, one of the main reasons that I like it so much. It also becomes full of sight gags and gross-out humour, and this won't appeal to some people. It's not the type of gross-out used in Austin Powers or American Pie - it has just a little more bite than that, and will definitely cause offense somewhere on the planet at the best of times. But it's all in good fun, and so silly that it doesn't get nasty, and there's never any doubt that it's all make-believe.
The two leads are just great - really funny, with natural chemistry, because they are best friends in real life. Also worth a mention is Dian Bachar, who you might remember as the postman from Two Guys, A Girl and a Pizza Place. He plays Kenny "Squeak" Scolari, best described in South Park analogies -the Stan to a pair of Cartmans. He is mainly used as a vehichle for the movie's cheapest slapstick gags, but he's also a believable character, and there were a couple of points where I really felt sorry for the poor little guy! The only performance that disappointed me was Yasmine Bleeth, but at the time I didn't know she had been on Baywatch, otherwise I would have expected bad acting (sorry Baywatch fans!). Her character Jenna has some pretty good lines, but they should have got someone who could deliver them well. Fortunately, all of the other performances were much better.
Anyway, you're probably sick of hearing what I have to say by now, so I hope I've inspired you to watch this movie. Like I said, you might like it, you might not, but I'd advise you to give it a try anyway.
Oh, and a message for any other girls out there who are reading this: Trey Parker is really cute. Not that that has anything to do with the actual movie, but I just thought I should express my opinion.
Thanks for reading my review. Party on! :)

Rating:
Summary: A new kind of sport, a new kind of sports comedy
Review: I heard that "BASEketball" was made by the same people who made "Airplane!." "Airplane!" is one of my favorite comedy movies of all time, so I couldn't wait to see "BASEketball." While I was watching it, I found out that it is somewhat similar to the high flying "Airplane!," , but "BASEketball" isn't half as good of a movie.

The game of baseketball is just like baseball mixed with basketball. There are different places on the field that you can shoot from, consisting of a single, double, triple, or home run. When you ring a shot, depending on where you shot the ball from, you move that number of bases. Defense consists of the player that is on defense trying to say or do something gross to make their opponent miss the shot, and it's called a 'psyche out.'
"BASEketball" features the two creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, as the two main actors. The movie is full of childish jokes and crazy antics. Part of the time, the movie is hilarious, and at other times, it's just plain gross. To make the movie a tiny bit better, a lot of famous real life athletes make appearances in the movie. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bob Costas, and Reggie Jackson are just a few of them.

"BASEketball" can be hilarious or it can be nasty, it's as simple as that. It really depends on what kind of things you think are funny. If you like comedy movies, I recommend giving "BASEketball" a shot.

Rating:
Summary: "Steve....Perry!"
Review: This is one of my favourite movies of all time, no doubt! Matt and Trey have been my heroes since I was ten years old (I was a very demented 10 year old). It's hilarious and strongly reccomended to anyone fond of...well, laughing! And if you like watching BASEketball, try and get together with some friends and play it.

Rating:
Summary: Stupid friggin' lame DVD...argh
Review: The DVD contains a featurette in which director David Zucker states that he originally cut BASEketball at 2 hours! The movie is maybe an hour and a half, now, so...where are these deleted scenes? Where's the inebriated commentary (a la Cannibal! and Orgazmo)? Where's ANYTHING! Collector's Edition reissue, and 200 ccs of sodium penethol, stat!