"Kicking and Screaming” for something less cliché

After his outrageous and quirky roles in "Old School" and "Elf," I suppose I was hoping for something a little more hilarious than what Will Ferrell delivered in his latest movie, "Kicking and Screaming." I was sorely disappointed that he had almost become…boring.

After all, Ferrell plays middle-aged WASP Phil Weston, a man who goes a little (actually, a lot) crazy when recruited to coach his son's soccer team against his insanely competitive father Buck Weston (played by a gruff and tough Robert Duvall). Never once does he streak through the streets of his neighborhood while inebriated or chase after Robert Duvall in a funny costume. He tends to wear khakis and go to barbecues in his daddy's backyard.

A little surprise punch that brightens the proverbial horizon comes with the startlingly decent acting job by none other than former Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka. He plays himself (which I suppose was not desperately difficult) but with a twist—he is also Buck Weston's neighbor and mortal enemy. Ferrell recruits Ditka to assistant coach his son's pathetic soccer team, with promises of beating his dad in a championship match if the team becomes good enough.The movie seemed to focus too much on things that weren't...well...funny. Like Phil Weston's coffee addiction, or the talent of the pair of young Italians (Francesco Liotti and Alessandro Ruggiero) Ditka scouted to improve the team. Ferrell didn't freak out enough.

But most glaring of all faults in "Kicking and Screaming" was its nauseatingly cliché ending. What do you think happens if Phil has been benching his son because he doesn't think he's a good enough player to carry the team to victory, valuing winning over sportsmanship, telling his players to hurt their opponents instead of telling them to play fair and have fun? Especially if the championship game is against Phil's father's team? You could go see to find out, or you could guess what happens and instead save your money to spend on the next Will Ferrel movie, one that will hopefully be better than this one.

"Kicking and Screaming" (95 minutes) is rated PG for thematic elements, language and some crude humor.