The Bad News in Breaking Training is the first of two sequels to the 70s classic. Both Walter Matthau and Tatum O’Neal are obviously missing, but they also mention Japan very early on, so the third film was already being prepped.
This time out, the Bears are supposed to head to Texas to play in the Astrodome. Kelly Leak (Jackie Earle Haley) recruits one of his pals, Carmen (Jimmy Baio), to be the team’s new pitcher, and also concocts a plan to get them to Houston with a stolen van and pull a fast one on all of the parents.
Carmen tries to be a hustler type of character, as he struggles to find his pitch. Kelly goes to see his estranged father, Mike (William Devane), when they reach Houston, and recruits him to be the team’s new manager.
With a manager, they are ready to gear up and play. Mike chats with Sy (Clifton James), a Budweiser rep, who is able to ensure they get their chance to play on the professional field (seeing the Astrodome back then is something).
Also among the adult members of the cast is Lane Smith.
Young Tanner (Chris Barnes) is still my favourite of the bunch. He’s incredibly passionate about the game. Unfortunately, he’s also a bit racist, though I don’t think he knows it. But man, the mouth on that kid.
It all comes down to the last moments of a truncated game, but it’s pretty enjoyable. That being said, some of the child acting is horrible. And by some, I mean practically all.
Devane is fairly solid, but he’s no Matthau. Honestly, if Paramount knew that they were going to follow up on the first film so quickly, they should have signed him to a three-picture deal. Oh well. Consequently, each film sees the Bears with a different manager. Would you believe it’s Tony Curtis in the third film?
Not all of it works; it’s a little haphazard, a little uneven, but some of it is still enjoyable. I remember seeing this one and the original in the theatre. I also remember the short-lived television show. Baseball seemed to be everywhere in my life at that point; the Bad News Bears came along, and in the same year the Jays had their inaugural season.
As rough as this sequel is, I still prefer it to the modern remake of the first film. Having said that, I wouldn’t say no to an ongoing Netflix series that would allow for multiple seasons and changes in players and character arcs.
I do love a good baseball movie.
