8 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, April 12, 1994

'Major League II' comes very close to striking out

THE GRAYS

By SARAH STEWART
Cleveland Indians' fans are in for
a pleasant surprise the first time they
step foot into their new ballpark,

Major League II
Written by R.J. Stewart; directed by
David S. Ward; with Charlie Sheen,
Tom Berenger and Bob Uecker.
Jacob's Field. The atmosphere is
clean, fresh and symbolizes nothing
less than the rebirth of a team that has
had few things to cheer about for 40
'years.
But for fans of "Major League,"
the 1989 film that gave the Indians a
less realistic glimpse of the good life,
just a moment in Jacob's Field would

easily provide more inspiration than
two hours of "Major League II."
For those who missed the first
one, the sequel offers a nearly identi-
cal version of the fictional Indians'
miraculous ability to defy all odds
and surface as unlikely winners. Af-
ter losing in the playoffs the year
before in the original "Major League,"
they are still basically the same mot-
ley crew looking to obtain virtually
the same, very predictable goal.
The so called turning-point in the
Indians' season comes when former
owner and Indians-hater, Rachel
Phelps (Margaret Whiten), buys back
the team from former player, Roger
Dorn (Corbin Bernsen). Her negativ-
ity only encourages victory, and the
winning streak that will bring them
the division title has begun.

This climax of sorts does not im-
ply that things are getting good. Be-
cause the plot of "Major League II"
provides only the minimal level
needed to hold one's attention, its
only hope comes from its diverse set
of characters and an unattainable
amount of luck.
Unfortunately, from the beginning
it is clear that the old characters were
never good enough to be brought back
to life and the new characters are not
sufficient compensation.
When Willie Mays Hayes (Omar
Epps) steps out of his limo the first
day of spring training, there is already
a sense of doom. The audience is
bound to wonder why a film that was
not good enough for Wesley Snipes
should be good enough for them.
Wonder no longer.
Rick 'Wild Thing' Vaughn
(Charlie Sheen) has lost his raw abil-
ity because of a new girlfriend and a
new straight-laced image. Pedro
Cerrano (Dennis Haysbert) has gone
from voodooism to Buddhism and
catcher Jake Taylor (Tom Berenger)
has been "demoted" to coach. The
team is undoubtedly more mild-man-
nered, but they are also more dull than
seems possible.
It is possible that your heart might
pump a little faster when the reincar-

nated 'Wild Thing' takes the field in
the suspense-filled final game. None-
theless, note how slow your heart was
beating prior to this moment.
In respect for the game of base-
ball, "Major League II" does provide
a few laughs, mainly from Randy
Quaid's portrayal of the ultimate fair-
weather-fan. His hypocrisy is best
characterized by his ever-changing
cap which says "No," No Way," "They
Suck," as the team worsens; it finally
reverts back to the Chief Wahoo logo
when an Indians' victory is close.
Bob Uecker makes an extended
cameo appearance as the Indians' ra-
dio announcer, varying his alcohol
consumption along with the ups and
downs of the season. The mediocrity
of the other performances make his
exemplary, although the audience
might find it more plausible if he were
drinking out of frustration with the
film rather than the trials of the fic-
tional Tribe, even if it means drinking
himself into oblivion.
With some luck, the real-life Indi-
ans will find victory in their inaugural
season at Jacob's Field, but if they
want some pointers on success, they
should keep "Major League II" more
than a bat's length away.
MAJOR LEAGUE II is showing at
Briarwood and Showcase.


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