Plot: What’s it about?
It comes as really no surprise that “Mr. 3000” came out in mid-September, just before the baseball pennant race was really heating up. Sports movies and baseball in particular, are timed that way for a reason. But who knew that the Boston Red Sox would pull off the impossible dream and finally break the curse and win the World Series? Not me. “Mr. 3000” deals with a different kind of curse, however, and Bernie Mac plays his part as Stan Ross with such arrogance and confidence that I’d be surprised if he hadn’t played professional sports at some time in the past. Ok, not really…As an actor Mac is above average and as a comedian he’s much better. There is some undeniable attraction I have for him though; perhaps it’s that he’s always smiling. In any regard, as a fan of “Americas Pastime” I’m always looking to see the next great baseball movie. Is “Mr. 3000” it? Not exactly, but it’s better than you might expect.
Bernie Mac plays Stan Ross, a cocky player who is at the top of his game and closing in on the magical 3000 hit mark (a milestone only 20 other players in the history of the game have accomplished). Ross plays for the Milwaukee Brewers and gets his 3000th hit in 1995 only to promptly retire from the game and await his place in the Hall of Fame. Nine years pass and that doesn’t happen. Furthermore, it’s been discovered that three of Ross’ hits have been counted twice, hence he’s “Mr. 2997” and not “Mr. 3000” as his chain of restaurants and bars claim. At the age of 47, Ross decides to suit up and make a comeback to get his three hits. However a lot has changed in the nine years since he’s been gone. Milwaukee is now in the National League (this is true, by the way) and he must now play a position instead of being a Designated Hitter. This is the least of his problems though. An old flame, Mo Simmons (Angela Bassett), is now a reporter for ESPN (which gets plenty of face time throughout…could it be that Disney owns ESPN?) and still believes Stan to be the self-centered jerk he was when he was still playing. Can Ross get back in the game, get his 3000 hits and earn a place in the Hall of Fame?
I have to say that I enjoyed “Mr. 3000”, granted I’m a fan of the game and though there have been some pretty good baseball movies in the past (“Bull Durham”, “Field of Dreams”, “The Natural” and “Pride of the Yankees” come to mind) this is more of a comedy along the lines of “Major League”. I also have to mention the fact that they used real baseball teams was a big plus for me. Something about “The Natural” that always bugged me was the fact that the teams were made up. Granted, the Milwaukee Brewers get plenty of exposure, but the field and even some of the players are real. Lastly, a common problem with sports movies is that it will usually come down to the “Big Play”. We all know what that is; will ______ hit the home run or throw a touchdown to win the big game? “Mr. 3000” follows this formula to an extent, but I was surprised by the execution of it all. Of course, I don’t want to give away the ending but let’s just say that it’s fairly satisfying. All in all, “Mr. 3000” is the type of movie that baseball fans will certainly enjoy and something that’s appropriate for the family as well.
