A sports agent stages an unconventional recruitment strategy to get talented Indian cricket players to play Major League Baseball.
Very funny underdog comedy that’s genuinely heartwarming and full of charm.
Hamm and Bell keep this hooey light, but you can’t lob a ball in here without hitting notes played better in Jerry Maguire and Slumdog Millionaire.
Safe, sanitised and predictable, Million Dollar Arm is a by-the-numbers Disney sports flick, and as such it offers no real surprises along the way.
The result is an increasingly absorbing drama with some nice comedy and an engaging romance; not quite as emotional as it could be, perhaps, but well told and impressively acted.
A very enjoyable, cheer the underdog crowd-pleaser with the Indian locations lending a touch of Slumdog Millionaire zest to the proceedings.
Along with the fondly indulgent regard for white guys plundering developing nations' resources, viewed this way: not so feelgood.
This is an old fashioned wish-fulfilment fantasy at heart – and the fantasy here isn't just that the players get to live out their dreams, but that, for once, Hollywood and India are perfectly in synch.
There's not much that's cinematic about the workmanlike Million Dollar Arm.
This true-life tale of the search for an Indian baseball star can't bat clear of schmaltz and cliche.
Polished but pleasant.
General release. Check local listings for show times.
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