Mr. 3000

Low and outside: Mr. 3000 is all about the Bernie Mac shtick

The new baseball comedy flick Mr. 3000 tries to be about a lot of things. It addresses issues of age and relevancy. It attempts to say something about the pitfalls of egotism. And it is a reflection of modern professional sports, from the preoccupation with statistics to the media sideshow that props these institutions up. But the film is rarely allowed to reveal anything about those themes because its frequently distracted by its star player--comedian Bernie Mac.

Mac is Stan Ross, first baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers who becomes the 12th player ever to get 3,000 hits and is poised to land a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame--or so everyone thought. A discovery is made that three of his hits were counted twice, and so Ross must smack three more to seal the deal in Cooperstown. Problem is, he retired immediately after what he thought was 3,000. Now 47, he must find a way back onto the Brewers, and when he does, his out-of-shape ass realizes it's a whole new ballgame. Not only does he have to contend with hotshot players and indifferent managers, he must deal with embittered reporters--including Mo (Angela Bassett), a former love interest of his.

Despite the entire movie revolving around him, Mac never really embodies his character because it always has to be about him and his shtick--a thin, witless act to begin with. Granted, this is nothing more than a star vehicle, but his hammy presence is ironic given that his character is supposed to learn something about the merits of teamwork. Whoops.

It's a shame since, for a mainstream comedy, the premise isn't completely unoriginal. The rest of the film, however, is pure boilerplate, from Mo's press box cheerleading to the stereotypes on display within Ross' team. Not that those flaws take much away from the film, for it is Mac who ultimately blows this ballgame.--Mike Prevatt