Saturday, October 4, 2014

Blu-ray Review - Million Dollar Arm


Million Dollar Arm
Director: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Jon Hamm, Aasif Mandvi, Bill Paxton, Suraj Sharma, Lake Bell and Alan Arkin
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Release Date: October 7, 2014
Retail: $39.99
Running Time: 124 minutes
ASIN: B00KYYFHGO
Rating: PG
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD on October 7, 2014 is the Million Dollar Arm. The film is directed by Craig Gillespie (Fright Night) and stars John Hamm, Aasif Mandvi, Bill Paxton, Suraj Sharma, Lake Bell and Alan Arkin. Special Features include: Training Camp: actors Suraj Sharma and Madhur Mittal face the same daunting challenge that their characters Rinku and Dinesh did - learning how to pitch a baseball; Their Story - the real JB Bernstein, Rinku and Dinesh explore the legacy of the Million Dollar Arm contest and its impact on the lives and aspirations of children in India ... and their own lives as well; Million Dollar Music By A.R. Raham - The Oscar-winning composer (Best Original Score, Slumdog Millionaire, 2008) talks about creating music that encompasses two worlds - India and the U.S.; alternate ending; deleted scenes and outtakes.

Based on the true story, Million Dollar Arm centers on JB Bernstein (played by Jon Hamm), a sports agent who is struggling to keep the doors to his business open. After flipping through channels late one night, he stumbles upon Britain's Got Talent and a cricket match, resulting in an idea that may save his business. Bernstein and his business partner Ash (played by Aasif Mandvi) convinces Chang, a sports business investor, into backing their idea of running a contest called the Million Dollar Arm in India. The contest is to find the best cricket bowlers, which the winners receive $100,000 and will travel to the United States to train for a tryout for the MLB.

Bernstein doesn't find just one suitable candidate, but he finds two - Suraj Sharma and Madhur Mittal, two young men that have no clue how to play baseball.


Though I am a baseball fan, I'm not the biggest fan of baseball movies, as they tend to be a little sappy and cliched. That being said, I thought I would at least give Million Dollar Arm a try, as it does star Mad Man's Jon Hamm. The film is actually less about baseball and more of a fish-out-of-water tale with the latter half about Suraj Sharma and Madhur Mittal trying to adapt to living in California and struggling to throw like a MLB pitcher. The entire cast gives great performances, especially the scene-stealing Alan Arkin. Overall, Million Dollar Arm plays  around the foul line; never going beyond a typical Disney family film. Despite some flaws, the film is still an entertaining watch.


*Disclaimer - I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

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