For everyone who hates the "Business of Baseball," you will love Major League. Yes, it is a dumb comedy movie; however, it certainly hits hard on greed in the game. Set in Reagan-era America, the movie shows baseball as it was meant to be, fun.

The plot of the movie is not too deep. The owner of the Cleveland Indians dies, and his former-showgirl wife takes over ownership of the team. Her main goal is not to field a team that will contend for a championship. She hopes to field a team that will lose so many games that fans will stop going to the games. After attendance drops below the number on the teams contract with the city of Cleveland; she will move the team to Miami (this movie was filmed way before Miami had a team, the Florida Marlins). Enter the cast of characters in place for Major League.

The team is filled with an odd mix of players, and coaches. Manager, Lou Brown (fresh out of his job in a oil and lube shop), moves up to the Bigs from the Minor League Toledo Mudhens. He brings a unique "old school" approach to managing.

The heart and soul of the team is catcher Jake Taylor. A former all-star with Boston, a knee injury regulated him to the Mexican leagues. This is Jake's chance to have one more year of life in the Majors. It is also his chance to be back in Cleveland to try and win back the heart of a librarian whom he had let get away a few years prior. This love story runs throughout the movie. Of course, since last seeing Jake, the love interest has found a wealthy lawyer and plans to walk down the alter with him. It becomes Taylor's job to change the fate of not only the young Indians players, but also his love life.

Many of the characters in Major League seemed to be based on other ball players. Taylor seems to resemble a fictional player. The mentality of the former-All Star is a close resemblance to that of Bull Durham's Crash Davis. He leads the younger players on the field, and gives them a little life wisdom as well.

Roger Dorn is Ronald Reagan in baseball pants. He will not dive for a hard-hit grounder, because he has too much money in the stock market to risk it all with a big injury. At home he is busy checking the Dow Jones, and he seems to care little of the team's success. I find a comparison of Dorn to future-Hall Of Famer, Wade Boggs. Despite the fact that they both patrol the "hot corner" of third base, other similarities exist (I don't want to blow the plot of the movie, so I will not tell this similarity).

Willie Mays Hayes, played by Weslie Snipes, is the strongest character next to Taylor. Based on Rickey Henderson (this is obvious), the outfielder plays like Mays, and runs like Hayes. He is a base-stealing threat when he can make it to first. Coach Brown wants him to hit the ball on the ground and run out infield singles, but Hayes tries to hit the ball out of the park. Snipe's character is the one you want to see succeed. You like him.

Ricky Vaughn (Charlie Sheen) is the bad-boy of the team. Just out of prison, Vaughn can throw the heat like no other pitcher in baseball; however, he has no control over were the pitch will end up. Sheen uses his good looks, and bad-boy attitude to perfect this character.

The high point of the film is Bob Uecker as the team's radio broadcast voice. He delivers some of the funniest lines in movie history. "In case you haven't noticed, and judging by the attendance; you haven't....." He is just brilliant in this film.

Other members of the team add comic relief, and they all contribute to the good and bad games for the team. As a viewer, you find yourself cheering for the Indians when you watch this movie.

Major League is a poor-man's Bull Durham. Don't get me wrong, it is a funny movie, but it is not a quality film. The humor is not as smart as the humor in Bull Durham, and the characters are not as deep. Major League is a movie a baseball fan needs to watch when she/he just wants a good laugh. It is a fairly predictable plot, with a few good lines. If you are looking for a great baseball movie, see Bull Durham or Eight Men Out. If you are looking for a movie that will crack you up, see Major League.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older