The Perfect Game (2010)

Powerful

People are voting emotionally.

Overrated and overhyped

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

I normally hate underdog movies,because they all have the same production mechanics, but this movie is the exact opposite. Movies like McFarland USA and any other sports movie ever,all have that same touchy-feely I won theme.The perfect game demonstrates how you can get any old underdog story and turn it into a movie with very high morality.The reason I think the perfect game is the only good sports movie is because all the other sports movies have nothing but oh this happens I need to win because were the underdogs ,but not this movie because it gives a sense of very high racially equality that all the other underdog movies don't have.The boys struggle and the coaches problems are very entertaining and not cliché at all.This movie raises high awareness not only for racial equality but a sense of how we all should be treated, something that most movies lack. Overall, this is a very original movie, Where everything feels like all movies should.

Based on a true story and set in the small of town of Monterrey, Mexico, during the 1950, a group of kids obsessed with baseball, dream to form a team and play in the Little League World Series. The problem is, that not only don't the kids know how to play, but they don't have a coach or even a field. Until one day, the kids encounter a former St. Louis Cardinals prospect, Carlos Faz (Clifton Collins), who takes on the nearly impossible task of preparing the kids to play in the tournament. The Perfect Game is very inspirational and the kids are adorable, but the film is severely lacking the usual characteristics of a sports film. It's the kids that make the movie, earning your admiration, while making you laugh and cry at the same time, but as a baseball fan, I expect some kind of sports action to be associated with a film like this. All the on field scenes are turned into montages of kids hitting, catching, and throwing, but there are no specifics or real-time game intensity. It's this seemingly small element, that prevents a good film from becoming a great one. Clifton Collins stars as coach Faz and gives a great performance. Collins is an actor I generally don't like, I find that he doesn't fit into many of his roles, but he really surprises me by being everything these kids needed and more. The lead child star is Jake T. Austin, who is now a nineteen year old heart-throb on the ABC family show, The Fosters. I've never seen him in anything before, but it was amazing to think he was only twelve years old when this film was made, because he was the strongest member of the cast. Austin was emotionally charged and was the kid that I wanted to see succeed the most. The film is presented as a sports movie, about the first international team to play in the Little League World Series Tournament. However, it is less of a sports movie and more of a drama about what the kids had to do just to get there and the hardships they faced once they were there. I was disappointed by the lack of real-time sports action, but impressed by the performance of the young cast and what they had to face during such a racial charged time in American history.

I am a big fan of baseball at all levels. I had read before that Mexico had won the Little League World Series in 1957 and 1958. What I hadn't read, was anything about this team. I had no idea what they had to go through just to make it happen. This could easily be considered the greatest baseball story of all time. They not only overcame the fact that they had never played organized ball before. They had to overcome financial issues, discrimination and not having a coach for a while. This team had some kids with real talent, and I think they won because they wanted it more. I thought the acting in this movie was a little forced, but it was not terrible. Cheech Marin does a good job playing the priest. It has some more famous child actors as well as Marin, including Jake T. Austin who plays Max on Wizards Of Waverly Place and Moises Arias who played Rico on Hannah Montana. I think all the kids do a pretty good job. The movie is supposed to have a relaxed, light-hearted and family friendly feel and it does. However, it does not have this in a cheesy way. It takes on racism, and shows how the Mexican team overcame racism not only for themselves, but for a black player from another team in a restaurant. It shows the impact that they left on the people who saw them play. A local Texas reporter who hates baseball eventually develops into a person who loves this team and wants to cover them at Williamsport. I like the part where they get advice from the groundskeeper, who turns out to be legendary Negro League player Cool Papa Bell. There were a lot of elements included in this movie that really make you think, that hold your attention and capture your imagination. I rented this from a Redbox and watched it twice before taking it back. This movie also made me want to learn more about the real life team and I found a lot of good articles. I would recommend this movie for any serious baseball fan, and for any family that is looking for a good film to watch together. It crosses that audience spectrum in the same way that The Sandlot, Angels In The Outfield, Little Big League and Rookie Of The Year do. This story/movie has become one of my favorites ever. Highly recommended. Don't expect an Oscar winner in production quality, but it's a great watch nonetheless.

This is an absolutely wonderful film in every respect. Don't be thrown off by the critics. They are wrong! I went away feeling that this is one of the most enjoyable films that I have ever seen. Wheras it is an excellent "family" film, it will be enjoyed by people of all ages. Bring along a tissue or two. Some of the scenes will bring forth an overwhelming emotional rush of what those boys were able to accomplish. What is so amazing is that the story is actually true. I can't believe that the release had so little publicity and is playing in so few theaters in the US. I saw it by accident. Don't miss it. It is WONDERFUL