Highly Overrated But Still Good

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

The least we can say is that Kicking & Screaming is not Will Ferrell's best movie. But I could say luckily Will Ferrell is in this movie, just to attempt to save this comedy. I'm a fan of the dorkish Will Ferrell and that's the only reason I watched this movie. His facial expressions and nerdiness makes him a good comedian. I like Robert Duvall as well and was surprised that he played in this movie. The story is pretty lame but I didn't expect much from that side, but this was probably one of the worst 'soccer' (or football like we call it here) movies I ever saw. And that just because how they filmed the soccer scenes, completely ridiculous moves, things you will never see in any game, not even from the worst players ever. So luckily we had Will Ferrell, to make us laugh a couple of times, because the rest is seriously not worth mentioning.

Phil Weston (Will Ferrell) is always trying to live up to his super competitive father Buck (Robert Duvall). Buck is so competitive that he has a son at the same time as Phil. Buck plays his son Bucky (Josh Hutcherson) over Phil's son Sam (Dylan McLaughlin) in their little league soccer team. It gets so bad that Buck trades Sam away to the worst team in the league. Phil needs help and gets Buck's arch-nemesis next door neighbor Chicago Bears legendary coach Mike Ditka.This Will Ferrell character may be getting too familiar to people. He has made a living playing the same idiot all the time. So it's understandable if the critics are tired of him. But the big discovery is Mike Ditka. His combative relationship with Robert Duvall is hilarious. When you put two great men together, Will Ferrell's childlike behavior is even more funnier. The chemistry of the three men is perfectly suited.

'Kicking & Screaming' is pretty much a typical football comedy about an underdog team that wins in the end. Nothing new here but the reason why I watched it and enjoyed it was because of the cast. Will Ferrell is fun to watch and a laidback Robert Duvall gives a funny relaxed performance as the jerk dad with a comic touch. The beautiful Kate Walsh plays the typical wife and mom and is pretty much there for star value and eye candy. I also enjoyed the scenes with the kids. The Byong Sun character was particularly funny. The film does occasionally derail as Ferrell's Phil gets hooked on coffee and turns into a maniac coach but then again, it made me laugh. Overall this isn't exactly a great film and it has nothing new to offer but it's good time pass as it draws some laughter. Perhaps that was director Jesse Dylan's intention.

I love Will Ferrell. I was watching this movie yesterday. He works well with the brilliant Robert Duvall who plays his champion father, Buck Weston, who would do nothing but win. Will's character marries Kate Walsh's character and they have a son, Sam, and so does Will's dad and his new wife have a son named Bucky Jr. Years later, Duvall's soccer team exchanges his own grandson to the losing team in the league. On top of that, their coach quits and Ferrell takes over. One of the younger players is a foreign adopted boy, Byong Chun, whose lesbian mothers offer a book about their son's shyness. I love seeing David Hermann play the referee, Greg Kinnear play the opposing coach, Laura Kightlinger as the lesbian mother, and of course Mike Ditka as Buck's neighbor and nemesis. The story is typical and predictable but still watchable and enjoyable.