Mr. 3000 (2004)

A Film Review

Copyright Dragan Antulov 2005

One of the great ironies of baseball is in huge disparity between its filmability and the actual popularity of the sport outside US borders. Baseball has provided and continues to provide basis for many popular and successful Hollywood films, but success of those films is limited because hardly anyone outside US (and few other nations’) border have a clue about baseball and its complicated rules. On the other hand, non-US audiences that couldn’t properly enjoy baseball-themed films might comfort themselves with not being disappointed with MR. 3000, sports comedy directed by Charles Stone III.

The protagonist of the film is Stan Ross (played by Bernie Mac), arrogant and selfish hitter for Milwaukee Brewers. Film begins in 1995 when Ross makes 3000th hit and decides to quit baseball in order to start making lucrative endorsements as “Mr. 3000”. Nine years later it turns out that a statistical error was made and that Ross actually made only 2997 hits. Ross, faced with the prospect of never entering Hall of Fame, decides to rejoin his old team in order to make those three extra hits. However, being out of shape and out of touch with younger team mates makes this task nearly impossible.

The best thing about the film is Bernie Mac who plays the character very familiar to fans of professional sport – an arrogant and selfish star who thinks he is greater than the sport itself. Mac plays Ross very convincingly , but the screenwriters weren’t up to the task. In the second half Hollywood clichés take over and Ross begins predictable but not very credible transformation into gentler, nicer and humbler human being. Somewhat surprising twist at the end makes MR. 3000 interesting, but this happens too late to improve generally disappointing impression of this film.

RATING: 3/10 (+)