My Review of "Home Team"

Home Team is the latest Happy Madison Netflix film to be released in 2022. It's a fairly simple and predictable story that throws in some awkward Happy Madison flare to it. I thought I knew what I was getting into with this movie and in some ways I was right.

The movie starts off with the introduction of Sean Payton. He's an NFL coach for the New Orleans Saints. This introduction takes place during the 2009 Superbowl. Sean rose to the occasion and helped the team win their very first Superbowl title. Obviously this is the build up to explain how great of a coach he really was.

Then a few years later Sean gets into some scandal that has him suspended as the coach for the team. Out without a job he looks at a picture of him and his son and decides to try to build back his relationship with his son.

In doing so he has to go back to his old home in Texas but mending his relationship with his son wouldn't be as easy as he thought. Luckily for him, his son does love football and plays in a minor league. As Sean watches his son's team play he notices that they could use a little help.

This is where the movie really starts and it doesn't take long for it to take flight. The relationship between Sean and his son seem kind of secondary to the overall main story. Although I thought the movie would be about their relationship it's really about Sean's relationship with the kids on the team that his son plays for.

It's a very innocent storyline that could have went a number of ways. I was actually more interested in seeing more about the scandal that Sean was implicated in. They could have also gone further into the relationship with Sean and his son. The movie tries to convey that it was difficult for Sean to make amends with his son but it actually happens a lot faster than I thought.

I thought they could have even went the way of the Mighty Ducks. They didn't do that either. Sean is only temporarily suspended from the NFL and I think the kids realize that. No one has any ill will or worry that he might spontaneously go back to the NFL. Still they didn't use that to add some tension between Sean and the players.

They did however have a slight transformation of Sean throughout the movie. This transformation is more noticeable closer to the ending of the movie. I think they should have gradually showed him devolving into this person throughout the movie than keep it all to the end. It would have made for more interesting viewing.

The comedy in standard Happy Madison fare. They are nonsensical and awkward moments sprinkled throughout the movie. It kind of gives it a Happy Madison touch to it. There is a very distinct joke style and delivery that comes with these types of movies. Although there isn't a lot of it in this movie it still exists. To me it felt a little out of place in this movie.

Then again this movie is obviously made for family viewing and a I think a lot of kids will appreciate the humor a little more than the adults. Those that love this type of humor will still feel a little out of place as there aren't many of these jokes.

Overall, I was moderately entertained by this movie. It's a very short and palatable film that families can watch in an afternoon. I don't expect a ton of replay value with this one though. That's why I have to give this movie a 6 out of 10. Happy Madison movies are starting to feel like hallmark movies where you just watch it out of comfort.