The new owner of the Cleveland Indians puts together a purposely horrible team so they’ll lose and she can move the team. But when the plot is uncovered, they start winning just to spite her.
The Cleveland Indians are in trouble. A new GM wants the team to tank so she can move the franchise to Miami and gain access to a private club. The lifestyles of the wealthy. So she calls in the worst of the worst and makes a team out of it. Thus begins the operating premise of “Major League.” Cue ’80s movie stereotypes, bizarre misfits, wacky misadventures, a loving heart of baseball, and some ’80s style comedy.
Look, I wanna come right off the cuff and admit you should probably not judge this movie by any credible standard. The whole point is the team are the Cleveland Indians (incredibly offensive logo and everything.) Whether it’s a harsh Dominican voodoo baseball player or a fast running skinny black man this movie kind of lives in its era. To judge it by modern standards would be to completely demonize it and its sensibilities while also validating the generation who watched this movie’s complaints. It’s too easy to tear apart in such a manner so why bother? I’d only be validating both arguments about cultural appropriation and I don’t really want to wade into the muck over a goofy ’80s sports movie. This is not the hill I’m willing to die on.
Instead, let’s just call it what it is: an ’80s sports comedy. Lots of gags. Lots of baseball. Lots of heart. There’s heart to find within. It’s actually quite sincere at times. All the makings of a classic but with more emotional honesty than other comedies. I appreciated that. While I ultimately kind of found the whole thing to be rather middle ground I guess I enjoyed the wild ride it created for itself.
Would I recommend? Maybe as a movie to connect with my dad or his brother. On my own? Likely not. It’s a movie within a very specific era, subject to that time period’s whims. It acts almost as much as a time warp as it does a sports movie. Get a feel for the ’80s if you like. See if the decade suits you. “Major League” is a great place to start.
P.S. Seeing Charlie Sheen in this role has shown me he’s had the same hairstyle for decades now and that is not a good thing. Consider that my major take away from this movie.
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