Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

Major League is one of many movies that have found an audience in spite of scores of critics who panned the thing. Sure, the criticisms that this film is predictable and mawkish are true. However, the time-worn story is pulled off very well by a fantastic cast, and that makes this one of great thing for baseball fans to watch while their teams are either wallowing through another horrible season or they're waiting for baseball season to start again.

Now, I've been a baseball fan for as long as I can remember. I love watching the game, reading about it, playing fantasy baseball on Yahoo! and watching a movie about the sport from time to time. Major League delivers the goods when I want a bit of escapism centered around the fine, fine sport of baseball.

This film, although recorded almost entirely in Milwaukee, is centered around the Cleveland Indians. The fictional Indians in the film is a team stuck in last place. The team's new owner, ex-showgirl Margaret Whitton, has decided to move the team to Miami. The only way to do that, however, is to keep attendance so low that the city of Cleveland will cut the Indians loose from their lease. How do you keep attendance low? Put together a team full of screwballs and misfits who will ensure the club will stay in last place.

The leader of the misfits is Charlie Sheen, a thuggish pitcher who starts off throwing horribly because he won't admit he needs glasses. Also, you've got washed-up cather Tom Berenger (who's fortunate enough to pursue Rene Russo). My favorite actor in this is Bob "Mr. Baseball" Uecker, who plays an announcer who drinks like a fish and downplays the miserable performance of the team (it was Euker, of course, who uttered the line "Just a little outside" when Sheen threw his first pitch and caused Berenger to have to dive after it). Uecker is absolutely fantastic in this one, and spins off one-liners at an alarmingly high rate.

And, you've got the usual cast of misfits here. There's the veteran pitcher who is a religious fanatic. Wesley Snipes who plays a young hot shot. The "voodoo priest" who can't hit a curveball and etc., etc.

Naturally, the players find out the team's owner wants to be rid of them, and decide to rush out and win the pennant and rally the fans. Gee, does anyone want to guess how that plan turns out? Does anyone really think the team fails in the end?

Oh, and this film isn't exactly suitable for children. That's due to nasty language and such. However, my five-year-old son has seen the "edited" version of this on television quite a bit, so the language is about the only thing truly objectionable in here.

So, the film is predictable, but it's a hell of a lot of fun. That's what really counts with films like Major League after all, right? While I don't expect Major League to appeal to folks who don't care for baseball, fans of the game will find plenty here to enjoy. As a fellow who's rooted for the Pittsburgh Pirates for the past 25 years, I appreciate the hell out of a film about a bunch of misfits and underdogs who win in the end. To hell with the critics. This film just offers a good time.


Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older