After getting caught drunk driving the court orders a former minor-league basketball coach Marcus Marakovich (Woody Harrelson) to manage a team of players with intellectual disabilities. He soon realizes that, despite his doubts, this team can go further than they ever imagined.
Marcus just seems to use this punishment as a way to get back into the NBA after an assault on his senior coach, played by Ernie Hudson, but slowly realises that there is more to this than he thought.
Based on the Spanish-language movie of the same name Champions is a Feel-good comedy which has a warm and amusing tone and despite being a bit predictable with a story of a coach who finds redemption it does it with a good heart.
Champions is the solo directorial debut for Bobby Farrelly, one-half of the mischievous (or notorious) Farrelly brothers duo. Some good comic timing between the “friends” basketball team and the coach stops you from becoming uninterested, but there are some crude and sexual jokes put in that are not needed and seem out of place at times.
The Blu-ray has a nice clean transfer with good colours and a nice image. The audio has a good DTS 5.1 mix which helps with a good soundstage.
Extras are –
• 12 Deleted Scenes
• Keeping it Friendly – Director Bobby Farrelly, Woody Harrelson, and the rest of the cast share
how they became involved in CHAMPIONS, as well as the importance of representation in the
film.
• Woody and the Team – Every team needs a good leader – here we explore how Woody
Harrelson filled that role on and off-screen.
• Casting the Friends
Woody Harrelson is always good to watch and he has good on-screen chemistry with his on-off lover Alex, played by Kaitlin Olsen. A fun if forgettable movie, but not a bad way to spend a couple of hours.
FILM- 7 PICTURE – 8 AUDIO – 8 EXTRAS – 7
