That said, “Semi-Pro” is nowhere near as funny as “Talladega Nights,” nor as perceptive as the underrated “Kicking & Screaming,” and though better made (by first-time director Kent Alterman) than the sloppy “Blades of Glory,” it never reaches that movie’s comic highs (or, mercifully, hits its lows). Scott Armstrong’s script gets surprisingly little juice out of the motley teammates, who include a clueless Lithuanian and a subdued Woody Harrelson as an over-the-hill former player traded to the Tropics for a washing machine. Aside from Ferrell’s sometimes inspired clowning, the funniest riffs belong to the team’s announcers (Andrew Daly and Will Arnett), whose deadpan improvs are the wittiest thing in the movie. The semifunny “Semi-Pro” is amiable enough, but you never feel there’s much at stake.
