A cliché that works just fine

Kicking and Screaming; 1:35; PG, for thematic elements, mild language, and crude humor; Grade: B+

Anybody that might walk into Will Ferrell’s new comedy Kicking and Screaming expecting high-brow cerebral humor is either unfamiliar with Ferrell or has not seen the movie’s preview. Just as it appears in said previews, Kicking and Screaming is stupid, silly and goofy. It’s also hilarious; Ferrell’s funniest since Old School, and most family-friendly since Elf.

In Kicking and Screaming, Ferrell is Phil, a middle class soccer dad whose father, Buck (Robert Duvall) has an unhealthy appetite for competition. Unlike what you see in the previews, Phil is a gentle, unassuming man, content with teaching children the importance of having fun over winning.

Phil’s son, Sam, has been riding the pine on his soccer team, coached by Grandfather Buck. When Buck releases Sam to another team, Phil takes over the coaching duties of his son’s team of misfits. With the help of Mike Ditka (don’t ask) and a pair of gifted Italian ringers, Phil converts his team into winners, but in the process finds himself becoming more and more like dad.

I suppose I could’ve saved space by pointing out that Kicking and Screaming is essentially a rehash of The Bad News Bears and that would’ve told you everything you need to know about the plot. Okay, so this storyline has been done a few times already, and we all know, even before the lights go down, how the movie will end. That’s really not a problem, however, when you’ve got someone as funny as Ferrell at the reigns.

Ferrell may not be a particularly good actor, but he’s a terrifically lovable goof, and in top form in Kicking and Screaming. And though this is definitely Ferrell’s movie, director Jesse Dylan (American Wedding) also makes good use of both Duvall and Ditka.

Kicking and Screaming sags for a few minutes about halfway through the movie, so I guess it’s not a perfect comedy. Thankfully, just when you think it might’ve completely run out of steam, the underdog sports movie clichés take over, and believe it or not they work out very well (and are very funny) in Kicking and Screaming.

Good news for parents: This rated PG comedy is absolutely appropriate for children of any age, and as much fun for the adults in the audience as it is for the kids.