I was at a reception and went up to Oscar-winning writer/director Taika Waititi and told him how cool it was that he used a song by Arthur Lee and Love, in his movie Jojo Rabbit. We had a great conversation about that band and other ‘60s artists. I was going to tell him also how much my wife and I adored “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” and how when my friend Myrna was going through such horrible cancer treatments, I took her to see “What We Do in the Shadows” and it really lifted her spirits. I was thinking Waititi might soon take the mantle as the best director of comedies ever. Then he did a few Thor movies I didn’t care for.
Now he’s done a feel good sports film filled with cliches, that’s almost a disaster. I’m guessing with all the TV projects he’s engaged in (Reservation Dogs, Our Flag Means Death, What We Do in the Shadows), perhaps he just didn’t devote as much time to making this movie great.
Michael Fassbender (who you can also see currently in “The Killer” on Netflix) plays a coach who has been recently fired (giving us a funny scene with the brilliant Rhys Darby). The only job this hard-drinking dude can get is coaching the American Samoa soccer team. This true story shows how they’re considered the worst team in the world. In one game, they lost 31-0. I immediately thought of “Cool Runnings,” the story about the Jamaican bobsled team.
Elizabeth Moss plays the wife he’s separated from, and it’s a wasted part. There are also scenes with her that don’t make sense. Those also include Will Arnett, for some reason.
We see that the coach is more interested in drinking than coaching, and he has a bad temper. Yet he soon starts to care for the players and their plight. It was sweet that the transgender player isn’t given any special treatment, but he does respect her.
The movie has so many idiotic scenes, that it almost feels like self-parody. There were lots of attempts at humor, and most fell flat. There are also elements that some could find slightly offensive.
There are a few fish-out-of water moments with the American living in a new place. And my wife and I both loved the guy playing the President of the Football Federation of American Samoa (Oscar Kightley). But aside from him, and the trans player, the rest of the team aren’t given backstories to make us really care about them. We just know one used to be the stud athlete in town, and another was a cop that could kick really hard.
Their heart is in the right place, and I think most people that seek out sports movies, won’t be disappointed. I just expected more from Taika Waititi.
2 ½ stars out of 5.