How do you make a sports movie? Have a team that can't win, a reluctant coach with an ace up their sleeve, and arch-rivals that the underdogs seemingly stand no chance against. That's "Ladybugs" for you!
The main thing that this movie has going for it is the legendary Rodney Dangerfield. He may not have had much luck in feature films, so I guess "Ladybugs" shouldn't have been a surprise. He is very likeable and respectable (pun intended) in this.
The other thing this movie has going for it is the late Jonathan Brandis. He has enough charm to carry his character, almost all the way.
Dangerfield plays Chester who is desperate for a promotion so that he can finally have a good wedding ceremony. His boss rejects him, but In a bid to suck up, Chester says he will coach his boss' daughter's soccer team: The Ladybugs. Dragging along his assistant to coach along with him, Chester is in shock to see the team consists of rookies with no natural talent. That has been done soooooo many times before. Just by reading this, how many other sports films did you just think about?
Chester's soon-to-be stepson is Matthew (Brandis), a slacker with a knack for sports whose bad habits have gotten him kicked off the teams. Chester's bad idea to get the team winning and for Matthew to play sports again is to disguise him as a girl named Martha. When the gender-bender aspect gets thrown in, it is a move the viewer will either hate or find a good change. I can assure you that the only reason I wasn't appalled was because of Dangerfield and Brandis.
The film this is most like is the modern Shakespeare adaptation of "Twelfth Night" called "She's The Man" with Amanda Bynes. Both are gender-bending sports films about soccer, but the Amanda movie was actually decent. I really can't recommend "Ladybugs" unless you love soccer or Rodney Dangerfield. I happen to be a fan of the late comic, so I did not hate this like I probably should have.
2.5/4
The main thing that this movie has going for it is the legendary Rodney Dangerfield. He may not have had much luck in feature films, so I guess "Ladybugs" shouldn't have been a surprise. He is very likeable and respectable (pun intended) in this.
The other thing this movie has going for it is the late Jonathan Brandis. He has enough charm to carry his character, almost all the way.
Dangerfield plays Chester who is desperate for a promotion so that he can finally have a good wedding ceremony. His boss rejects him, but In a bid to suck up, Chester says he will coach his boss' daughter's soccer team: The Ladybugs. Dragging along his assistant to coach along with him, Chester is in shock to see the team consists of rookies with no natural talent. That has been done soooooo many times before. Just by reading this, how many other sports films did you just think about?
Chester's soon-to-be stepson is Matthew (Brandis), a slacker with a knack for sports whose bad habits have gotten him kicked off the teams. Chester's bad idea to get the team winning and for Matthew to play sports again is to disguise him as a girl named Martha. When the gender-bender aspect gets thrown in, it is a move the viewer will either hate or find a good change. I can assure you that the only reason I wasn't appalled was because of Dangerfield and Brandis.
The film this is most like is the modern Shakespeare adaptation of "Twelfth Night" called "She's The Man" with Amanda Bynes. Both are gender-bending sports films about soccer, but the Amanda movie was actually decent. I really can't recommend "Ladybugs" unless you love soccer or Rodney Dangerfield. I happen to be a fan of the late comic, so I did not hate this like I probably should have.
2.5/4