Major League: Back to the Minors

 

                                   So, it's like this binged so much on the Chosen finding my April Recommendation, basically trying to find something that's 90 minutes that I can somewhat ignore while working out. Apparently, Major League: Back to the Minors came on my radar while browsing on YouTube and the good news was that it was FREE to watch, I mean bad/mediocre movie from the late nineties trying to be a blend of both Major League and Bull Durham and it's free, hell I'm all in specially when it's free on YouTube. Moreover, if you have an account on YouTube you can defiantly find some great hidden gems on YouTube. I will say that this movie was without a doubt mediocre on so many levels but, and you may think I'm crazy when I say this, but this was much better than the sequel Major League 2.

                                   Minor league pitcher Gus Cantrell (Scott Bakula) is about to be put out to pasture when he's given an opportunity to do the next best thing: manage the South Carolina Buzz. The ailing baseball team is full of terrible players, but owner Roger Dorn (Corbin Bernsen) is banking on Cantrell to make a top-notch franchise out of them. While trying to work miracles on the wacky lineups, Cantrell butts’ heads with the uppity manager of the Minnesota Twins, resolving their conflict on the field. 

                                   I actually remember this movie a long time ago and really what brings my memory back is the douche bag Twins manager played by Ted McGinley, who was also in Married with Children for which I was surprised by that, though with his performance you can turn away or overlook his performance because deep down his performance is like nails on the chalk board when it comes to playing the over the top antagonist. Which is weird cause he should have been an excellent accomplice for Rachel Phelps in the Major League universe, although that's obviously never going to happen. Granted this movie has been on my radar to watch for quite some time I just never had the intention nor want to really want to re-watch it, I mean Bob Uecker said it best during a Brewers Broadcast if his partner watched the film, he replied no then Uecker said "Well don't. That movie was so bad that it opened in airplanes the week we finished it." Which is weird because I believe that's when I saw bits of the movie which was on an airport during a plane wait. Really what saves the movie, and why I think of this as a better movie than Major League 2 was that this wasn't repeating itself like Major League 2 was trying to do because in all honesty the sequel came out in 94 and so there huge gaps between the first movie and its sequel that there's really no need to make a straight forward sequel and what Back to the Minors provides is a decent story between the manager and up and coming ballplayer both played by Scott Bakula and a real young Walter Goggins furthermore the writers do a decent good job in portraying this relationship as a annoyed of each other but really need and respect one another in the end. I have to say the ability to shoot the film at the old Twins ballpark was pretty cool because the Hubert H. Humphrey Metro-dome is such an iconic ballpark second only to the Astrodome and the fact that they were able to shoot the first challenge moreover seeing a wide shot of the ballpark is awesome furthermore brings back memories growing up, even though I never seen it up close I've always remembered the movies about the Twins. Though sure I could say that Corbin Bernson and recurring actors from the second film returning but I can imagine that they we're just there for the money. A side from the decent story line, I'm still confused as to what the point it was to make this movie, for many reasons the sequel was big disappointment so why bring this movie back when you know that this wasn't going to be a great film, so there's got to be some reason as to why this movie was made in the first place because there's no story line as to why Bakula's character knows Dorn and Cerrano or how long they knew each other or what happened after the events of Major League 2, moreover I just find it pointless to make this movie in the first place. Granted the movie wasn't all bad to watch and some of the ridicules jokes like a dry ice baseball could really work when it comes to pitching, so to answer the question would I recommend this movie even if it was free to watch on YouTube or any streaming service? And to answer the question, no not really for many reasons it doesn't carry the magic of the first Major League film and I think the main reason as to why this film was made, was becuase of all the kid baseball films and it wasn't trying to take itself seriously furthermore yes the relationship between both Bakula and Goggins is decent to watch on screen, it just doesn't help to re-watch the movie all over again. Basically, it's like trying out a knew BBQ joint you get a good look at the place see some cool stuff in the background notice you feel like you’re slipping in the restrooms, try out the food say that it's pretty good, then you don't want to revisit the place ever again.