ScoobyWell Great visuals, story delivers no surprises

MamaGravity good back-story, and good acting

Sharkflei Your blood may run cold, but you now find yourself pinioned to the story.

mraculeated The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

MartinHafer "Mr. Baseball" is a pretty good film and it is enjoyable to watch. However, the main character, Jack (Tom Selleck) is rather unrealistic and if his character had been toned down just a bit, I think it would have been a better film.When the film begins, Jack is playing in the major leagues for the New York Yankees. However, despite being a star in the past, his last season was terrible and he is now about to be released. But no other American team wants him because he's overpaid, arrogant and not performing. His only option...play ball in Japan. But his road to success is VERY bumpy...much of it because the culture is so different and because Jack is an obnoxious idiot! Can Jack learn to be a little less 'Jack' and manage to make a success of it?As I said, Jack is a character that comes off poorly...entertaining to watch but also one dimensional and cartoonish. Of course life will be difficult for a major leaguer to move to Japan...but not THIS much because his character does NOTHING to try to learn Japanese customs or fit in with the team. Perhaps the filmmakers thought they needed to exaggerate all this...I think toning him down a bit would have been wiser. Still, it is worth watching....warts and all.

Phil Hubbs In all honesty this movie looked very much like a 'Major League' clone judging by the title and poster, hell they even cast Dennis Haysbert who played the menacing Pedro Cerrano in that movie. So is this a crazy kamikaze comedy with over the top characters, wacky situations and foul language? well no actually.Believe it or not this is actually a sensible light-hearted romcom which showcases the cultural differences between Japan and their baseball traditions, and America and their baseball traditions.Tom Selleck plays the obligatory aged fading baseball star who is transferred to Japan to play professional baseball whilst also becoming the clubs poster boy. Naturally Selleck's character is against this move and has a hard time getting to grips with the cultural differences both on and off the ballpark. Spoiler alert (as if you need it)...eventually he comes around with the help of his new love interest and helps the team...well I'm sure you can guess.Yes the tale is a predictable one that has been covered by virtually every sports flick ever, but that's not the point of the movie. The main point here is providing an insight into Japanese culture and how they play and watch the game of baseball, its like the sport version of 'Lost in Translation'...almost. Just like that film this story delves deep into the Japanese traditions, routines and rituals that make up their sport, how the Japanese made baseball their own. This naturally provides many giggles with Selleck's big bold brash arrogant cowboy-like character stepping on many toes and accidentally insulting everyone or harking bad luck. Its not all giggles though as we see much of Nagoya and its surrounding areas, how Japanese people live in parts and indeed how they watch baseball...munching on bowls of noodle meals with lots of colourful fanfare mainly. Its actually very interesting and I enjoyed watching these segments, being interested in Japan helps I guess.For me the one thing I didn't really like was Selleck's character. I realise this guy is suppose to be a cocky hotshot star player and the whole point of the movie is to have him be a jackass...but boy is he an unlikable jackass! He obviously doesn't take the Japanese game seriously and treats the players, staff, media and coach with disrespect, this of course sets up the plot twist midway through. But generally I found his character to be whiny, rude and obnoxious, he never even gives the Japanese culture a chance, he constantly takes the p*ss and ignores the rules. Now lets be serious here, I know this is just a movie but I think even the most arrogant player/person wouldn't really act like this from day one. Sure over time people could lose their rag under strange circumstances, under stress with different cultures in a foreign land, but I think most would give it a shot and at least be polite to a degree to start with sheesh!The fact that he doesn't like anything about Japan and constantly moans about how he hates it even though he's a popular sports icon earning money just makes him unlikable in my book. Sure its a come down for this character but he's still treated like a star and everything is provided for him, not too shabby really. Anywho apart from the bitchy Jack Elliot (Selleck) the other cast members are very good and add much gravitas to this soppy tale. The best of these easily being Ken Takakura as the clichéd hard nosed team coach who must put up with Elliot's sulky behaviour. Think of this guy as a Mr. Miyagi type character, he doesn't say much, grunts a lot, looks very serious and stern all the time, hides a few tricks and in the end wins your heart (much more so than Selleck's character). The film isn't as clichéd as you'd think at times, there is the slimy ponytailed agent of Elliot who you'd swear blind will turn out to be the bad guy and somehow screw Elliot over...well you'd be wrong.Its definitely a solid movie and its nice to see baseball through the eyes of another country even though there aren't too many outside of the US to choose from. The baseball sequences are visually pleasing and realistic whilst the action is as you would expect with lows followed by a training montage and then highs. The final scene gives you a reasonable adrenaline boost as the entirely predictable plot unravels before your eyes. Relaxing fun from the land of the rising sun, its just a shame about the main character being a complete douche.6.5/10

SnoopyStyle Jack Elliott (Tom Selleck) used to be a great baseball player. Now he's an apathetic over the hill slugger who's bigger in his own mind. One day he's dumped onto the Chunichi Dragons of the Japanese Central baseball league. There he falls for his liaison Aya Takahashi, and learns from her father the coach (Ken Takakura). Dennis Haysbert plays the only other American on the team.It's a well done rom-com. Plus it's a well done redemption film. The clichés and the formulas are all here. And they're all expertly done by Fred Schepisi.Tom Selleck is perfect as the aging baseball player. Not only does he look the part, he projects that sense of entitlement and was able to grow the character to his redemption. This has all the elements of a feel good movie.

David_Brown I simply cannot understand how anyone dislikes this film. One element that never gets discussed, is the brilliant Jerry Goldsmith music at the end of the movie (it should have won an Oscar). The real standout performance belongs to Ken Takakura ( also known as the Clint Eastwood of Japan), who plays the Dragon Manager Uchiyama, and his relationship with both arrogant American Jack Elliott ( Tom Selleck), and his daughter, Hiroko ( Aya Takanshi). He is a very traditional Japanese man who underneath it all has a huge heart ( like when he admits to Jack that it is he who selected Jack and basically put himself on the line, and did not ban Hiroko from dating Jack ( an absolute no, no in Japan), and he was the one who got Hiroko and Jack back together). Spoilers ahead: I love the last sports related scenes of the movie where Jack has become very much like Uchiyama, by bunting with the bases loaded, and putting them the team ahead of I, and when he is in Spring Training with the Detroit Tigers ( Selleck is a huge Tigers fan), and a younger player calls him "Chief" ( that is what he called Uchiyama), and he said " It is okay, call me chief." He basically has become Uchiyama ( he even has Hiroko with him). Hiroko is a very interesting character as well. You get the idea that she dates Jack as a way to teach him a lesson, and to stick it to her father as well ( the scene where Jackk and Uchiyama find out the truth, and she sticks it to both of them comes to mind, as does the final scene where Uchiyama goes to her apartment ( obviously for the first time), and intervenes for Jack and she says how alike Jack and her father are and will never change. She also points out " he is a foreign ballplayer." ) and Uchiyama says " who you are in love with." She never believed that Jack would actually be willing to take her when he left, and her father would actually allow him to do so. The funny thing of course, is Jack is very much like her dad ( but underneath it all in a good way, that she did not realize) and its maybe the very reason why she loves him ( although she would never admit it).. Basically one of the best sports films ever. 10/10 Stars