'Million Dollar Arm' Is A Classic Sports Underdog Story, But It's No Classic Movie

Jon Hamm stars in 'Million Dollar Arm', a film that takes the underdog story and does very little to circumvent expectations surrounding it. And while some critics agree that this true story has merit on the silver screen, a 57% rating on Rotten Tomatoes suggests the director Craig Gillespie skewed his pitch.

Hamm plays JB Bernstein, a sports agent whose business falls on hard times. In dire need of inspiration, he stumbles across an idea: To find the next baseball star amongst India’s millions of cricket players.

“This sharp, slickly produced addition to the Disney sports movie canon works as both a stirring underdog tale and as a revealing look at the expanding global footprint of the American sports-entertainment machine,” writes Scott Foundas for Variety.

The Hollywood Reporter were one of many to use the home run analogy: “Dutifully covering all the requisite inspirational sports movie/fish-out-of-water bases yet still managing to throw a few fresh curves into the mix, Disney's Million Dollar Arm assuredly hits a home run,” wrote Michael Rechtshaffen.

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“‘Million Dollar Arm’ never focuses on anything but its calculated marketing and formulaic plot, or bothers to take a look - a real look - at the interesting world around it,” suggests Stephen Whitty of the Newark Star-Ledger.

Tim Grierson of Screen International writes in his review: “Though "Million Dollar Arm" has an undeniable sweetness, there's a persistent phoniness to the script that leaves its twists and turns feeling manufactured rather than earned.

And finally, Alsono Duralde for The Wrap says: “Like a mangy dog that plops its head in your lap and gazes adoringly at you until you scratch it behind the ears. Eventually, you give in and scratch. And then you wash your hands.”

Watch the trailer for 'Million Dollar Arm' here

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