DubyaHan The movie is wildly uneven but lively and timely - in its own surreal way

Tayloriona Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Robert Joyner The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Arianna Moses Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

johnny-burgundy The Bad News Bears (1976) This is a classic sports comedy about an aging, down-on-his-luck ex- minor leaguer coaches a team of misfits in an ultra-competitive California little league. It stars Walter Matthau and Tatum O'Neal. This is one of my favorite movies from my childhood. Considered crass and crude in its day, it's now received cult status. The film garnered two sequels, a television series, and a 2005 remake. It also received multiple award nominations. The remake wasn't necessary, as I believe the original still holds up, despite the critics' problem with the drinking, smoking, and profanity. This a great representation of comedy from the era.

zkonedog As a lifelong baseball fan, I had kind of been embarrassed that I had never seen this movie all the way through. Whenever a Little League-er lets a ball through the legs or stumbles around under a pop-up, someone will usually bring up a "Bad News Bears" comment. When I finally did sit down and watch it in entirety, however, what I found was that it is a film where the subject matter and stereotypes transcend how good the movie actually is.For a basic plot summary, "Bad News Bears" sees former baseball player Morris Buttermaker (Walter Matthau) basically get suckered/bribed into coaching a community Little League baseball team (the Bears). In typical fashion, the team can't hit, catch, or throw, and Buttermaker doesn't care…sipping his beer and puffing his smokes in the dugout. When the boys are embarrassed by the rival Yankees in their first game and the opposing manager gets under Buttermaker's skin, however, he begins to start trying/caring (albeit in only the way he knows how). When motorcycle-riding "hooligan" Kelly (Jackie Earle Haley) and step-daughter Amanda (Tatum O'Neal) are recruited to help the team out, things actually begin to click and the Bears start moving up in the standings.There are themes/clichés in this movie that truly are universal. I mean, any baseball/sports fan can relate to the bumbling little league team, right?! Then, you also have the "rebel kid who also has the best baseball skills", the "girl who can outpitch the boys", and the "manager who waffles between caring, winning, and having fun". Heck, the rival team in the film is even called the Yankees for crying out loud! I think this is why "Bad News Bears" will always have a niche in sports film culture, as it shines a brief light on so many of those youth sports touchstones.Taken just as a film (and not a cliché), however, "Bad News Bears" really isn't all that great (I even found it rather dull in spots). Most of the beats are completely and utter predictable and characters like Buttermaker and Kelly Leak (while potentially iconic in image) don't really provide a coherent narrative. The only portion of the movie that really, really works is Tatum O'Neal's character, as Amanda actually receives a character arc and is given interesting things to do rather than just following a formulaic script.Thus, I think the biggest problem with "Bad News Bears" is that it tries to stuff too many clichés and sports genre tropes into its one hour and forty minute runtime, to the point of not really nailing any of them. Those clichés, combined with a few funny sight gags ("Chico's Bail Bonds"), will allow this film to live on into the annals of history, but I'd recommended using it as those stereotypes instead of sitting down and watching it front-to-back, as you may be disappointed by the full cinematic experience.

oOoBarracuda Bad News Bears stars Walter Matthau and a young Tatum O'Neal in a film about an aging former baseball player and the team of misfits he is financially coerced into coach little league baseball. Michael Ritchie directs a sports movie that takes a different approach than the all too common paint by numbers avenue sports movies usually travel. Bad News Bears, a 1976 feature, is a fun deviation from the usual sports movie, not even requiring the audience to be sports fans in order to enjoy the film. Considering the cast is largely made up of a collection of minors, Bad News Bears shines as a fun movie able to be enjoyed by all. Former baseball player and current pool cleaner, Walter Matthau (Morris Buttermaker) who spends his time greeting the bottom of every beer can and cigarette butt he can, is roped into coaching a little league team made up of the misfits no other team would take. Roy Turner (Vic Morrow) even agrees to pay Buttermaker for his troubles of coaching the team, a responsibility he takes flippantly when he sees how poorly the team performs. Drinking beer and smoking in the dugout while he lets the kids run the show, Buttermaker is clearly only in the coaching gig for the money. As the story develops, and he secretly begins to care for the children on his team, he begins to take a more active coaching role, still with the beer in hand and wants to make sure the team does well. Buttermaker has a secret weapon up his sleeve when he recruits his ex- girlfriend's daughter, Amanda Whurlitzer (Tatum O'Neal) a feisty sporty 12-year old. The team also gets a huge bump when the local punk, Kelly Leak (Jackie Earle Haley) turns out to have an incredible natural talent for baseball. With more weapons in the dugout, and a confidence in themselves and each other growing with every game, the Bears begin to win games and have fun doing it. Somehow the misfit team makes it all the way to the championship game, proving that all you need is direction and a chance to prove yourself. The Bad News Bears is a brilliant ensemble piece. Typically in such a film, actors will deal with each other for screen time presence. In this film, made up mostly of children, that problem doesn't present itself, and it is to the audience's benefit. The character development in this film is unlike any I've seen in awhile. Not just the character of Morris Buttermaker is expanded, but each of the children's characters as well, to one extent or another, another aspect that is often lacking in ensemble films. I enjoyed learning through this film that Walter Matthau is much more than a grumpy man, as sadly, those are the only film roles I've seen of his. His acting is subtle, yet commanding, a trait that is missing from many modern day actors and was fun to see again. Of the many good features of this film, the best was that it was an unpredictable sports film. After watching a month's worth of sports films and learning that one is almost always the same as the next, The Bad News Bears was a fun departure from such boring predictable sports movies. What's also unique about this film is that it is packed with a message, yet avoids coming off preachy and overly moralistic. A fun movie all around, The Bad News Bears is a sports movie fit for athletic audiences and couch potatoes alike.The best takeaway from this film, for me, is seeing Walter Matthau in a role I have never seen him in before. He always came off a little muted and one-dimensional before; I am happy that misconception was dispelled with The Bad News Bears. It is rare to see such standout acting performances from such a young cast, but The Bad News Bears is a prime example of such a film. If you are going to seek out this great film, I would recommend going with the original (actually, in almost every scenario) and taking in some great Walter Matthau, along with some other big names in early roles and taking in 1976's The Bad News Bears.

jaywensley2004 Most of the best-loved movies centered on sports are about the sport as an icon. They are tributes to the sport; love stories about something we idealize. "The Bad News Bears" is one of a handful of movies that evoke what it was like to play a sport. It may be the best of such movies, although I would place it in a tie with the brilliant "Personal Best."For any one who played an organized sport when they were young, "...Bears" should ring true. We didn't just know these kids, we were these kids. Trying to balance a developing sense of pride with the gratification that comes from being an appreciated part of a group. Trying to learn how to enjoy the journey as much as the destination. And trying to figure out what the hell was wrong with the adults who were supposed to be guiding us.For most of us, we figured it out. We may not have realized it, but we did. For some, "The Bad News Bears" may have been an important part of that. Anyone who hasn't had a moment like Tanner's when he realizes that he may not like Timmy, but Timmy is "TEAM!" probably never played a team sport. And I especially liked the way the film took advantage of the (at the time, new) inclusion of girls on Little League teams. I had aged out of Little League by then but "The Bad News Bears" reminded me that I had often wondered when I was playing LL if there weren't girls who could stay on the field with us boys. (As an aside does anybody remember the "Silver Bullets?" I firmly believe there are women capable of playing MLB caliber baseball, especially at 2B or SS.)As "film," "The Bad News Bears" is a great piece of work. Watched today, almost 40 years after its release, it seems classic, undated. The script has moments of brilliance (the aforementioned scene where Tanner discovers he's a team player and Tatum O'Neal's line about "up there" are favorites), the cinematography preserves the reality of suburban Little League settings, the direction is crisp but unobtrusive and the story is so well-crafted that it stings like an 11 year-old's fastball to the ribs. And the acting, especially among the players seems less like performance than candid documentary. These kids look, talk and act like pre-adolescents. They are old enough to be hearing "act your age" from the adults around them but present without affectation the confusion that is inherent from hearing themselves answer "But...I'm 11!" This more than anything else is what makes "...Bears" such a realistic film about playing a sport. These youngsters are being taught to compete, taught to win, but what they are doing is trying to have fun. It is confusing.