The Bad News Bears 2005

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The Bad News Bears ★★2005 (PG-13)

Here's some bad news: Indie darling Linklater hit a home run with his kid-friendly “School of Rock,” but he couldn't squeeze any life of out this watered-down remake of the 1976 Walter Matthau classic. It's disturbing that the updated “Bears” is a million times less subversive, vulgar, and (let's face it) funny than the original, a film that was released almost thirty years ago. Isn't society supposed to be declining? Shouldn't Linklater's movie be raunchier than a film released during the Carter administration? Casting Thornton in the lead was an inspired choice, but the toothless script just forces him to do the PG version of his “Bad Santa” routine. Do yourself a favor and rent the original. 111m/C DVD, UMD . US Billy Bob Thornton, Greg Kinnear, Marcia Gay Harden, Tyler Patrick Jones, Sammi Kraft, Timmy Deters, Ridge Canipe, Brandon Craggs, Jeff Davies, Carter Jenkins, Jeffrey Tedmori, Troy Gentile, Carlos Estrada, Emmanuel Estrada, Kenneth “K.C.” Harris, Aman Johal; D: Richard Linklater; W: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa, Bill Lancaster; C: Rogier Stoffers; M: Ed Shearmur, Randall Poster.