‘Home Team’ movie review: Kevin James can’t save this shit as a ‘sports comedy’

In barely a few minutes, it is clear that home team It won’t try very hard to differentiate itself from the usual sports-comedy fare we’ve seen countless times before.

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Reportedly based on Sean Payton’s stint as coach of the New Orleans Saints, the film begins with a glimpse of the 2009–11 NFL scandal that became known as the ‘Bountygate’. However, the narrative immediately brushes the incident under the carpet, and instead points to floodlights at a hapless football team of 12-year-olds (Peyton’s estranged son among them) that enlists Peyton as their coach. . If it weren’t for the passing references to Peyton’s former life as an NFL guru, one could easily mistake him for coaching the father of his son’s football team to coach.

With notable names including Kevin James, Taylor Lautner and Rob Schneider, the film comes close to finding an emotional hook that can anchor its dreary story. But a string of unresolved plotlines, impossible scenarios, and stereotypical characters sound the death knell early. Sean Peyton (played by James) is portrayed as a no-nonsense, aggressive coach who tells his players to ‘suck it up’ when they are tired. When her unbelieving son tells her about his decision to train a group of preteens, she has no answer. The tension between them has been acknowledged, but never fully explored.

The film is barely consistent in its tone. Although it claims to be a ‘sports comedy’, the story is surrounded by moments of forced humor that feel wrong, and it is unclear whether home team Aspires to be a biopic, a sports movie or a family film. Even in its relatively serious scenes, it misses out on meaningful moments. The final nail in the coffin comes in the form of an unrealistic victory… during which Peyton’s team wins by taking a jibe at their opponents. While the humor of Thappad may appeal to kids, this brand of comedy rarely gets a laugh among older audiences.

The story has also been influenced by many inspirational persons; A bumbling assistant coach who (sometimes literally) doubles as a punching bag, a simpliciter single mom in search of love, and a dull assistant to name a few. The film’s saving grace can be found in its child actors, who happily go on to play their roles. The result is a group of talkative, happy-go-lucky boys who mostly understand football through food metaphors.

home team Takes a lot of detours, and tests the limits of his genre in an attempt to address everything from teenage awkwardness and youthful love to career crises. Like the players in the film, it is content with touchdowns rather than desiring to win.

Home Team is currently streaming on Netflix