Review – Mr. 3000

The baseball parts of this movie aren’t nearly as bad as I thought they were going to be. If only they hadn’t filled so much of the total screen time with, well, filler. Bernie Mac stars as a power hitter who makes it to 3000 hits and then retires right in the middle of a pennant race, displaying a distinctly Barry-Bonds-ish disregard for anything beyond his own personal success. Then it turns out that the record books are wrong and that he actually retired three hits short of the mark. As the shortfall – plus his abrasive personality – are keeping him out of Cooperstown, back he goes to play for the Brewers once more in hopes of getting the hits he needs. The comeback process humanizes the guy, which makes for a reasonably entertaining baseball flick. If only they hadn’t felt the need to stir in a bunch of boring nonsense with a love interest and then make it a significant part of the movie. If you’re into the cliché-ridden realm of the baseball movie, this is a passable specimen. But keep a finger on the fast forward button, and fire away whenever Angela Bassett shows up. Never have I seen her talent so badly squandered. Mildly amusing