Will Ferrell trots out familiar persona

The comedian can certainly be appreciated for his dedication, if not for his creativity. After all, you've seen this character before, this Jackie Moon, the owner-player-coach of the Flint, Mich., Tropics, a fledgling (and fictional) American Basketball Association team. It's essentially the same self-serious, delusional guy Ferrell plays in almost every movie he's made: Ron Burgundy in barely there polyester shorts; Ricky Bobby in nipple-clinging turtlenecks.

It makes you wonder where else he can go with the persona: competitive Tiddlywinks, perhaps? But Ferrell does go for it, and either you're with him or you're not.

"Semi-Pro" is consistently funnier and more of a cohesive film, though, than the collection of gags that was "Blades of Glory." And it has more than a few shadings of "Slap Shot," "Major League" and even "Kingpin." It's that one-last-shot-at-glory premise - not that the sports element truly matters in a sports movie like this. It's really all about the silly vibe and the physical humor. (The script comes from Scot Armstrong, who has co-written such comedies as "Old School" and "Starsky & Hutch.")

The year is 1976, and Kent Alterman, a longtime New Line executive making his directing debut, wallows in the period kitsch. Leisure suits, bad mustaches, Sly & the Family Stone - no cliche is left unturned.

Jackie is trying to keep the Tropics alive as the NBA is about to absorb the four best teams from the ABA. (This actually happened, by the way: the Nets, Spurs, Pacers and Nuggets made the cut.)

Most of Jackie's promotional ideas are just completely out there: leaping over a line of cheerleaders in roller skates and a cape; wrestling a live bear in a cage; dressing his teammates in flamingo and sea horse costumes for a halftime dance routine. But some of his pranks also have to do with basketball.

He trades the team washing machine and brings in former Boston Celtics bench warmer Ed Monix (Woody Harrelson) to help his players, including the showboating Clarence "Coffee Black" Withers (Andre Benjamin). But Ed is also in Flint to rekindle a romance with his ex, played by Maura Tierney, whose new boyfriend (Rob Corddry) happens to be Ed's biggest fan.

Yes, all the usual suspects turn up in "Semi-Pro." Besides Corddry, there's David Koechner as the ABA commissioner, Will Arnett as the Tropics' chain-smoking, Scotch-swilling color commentator and Andy Richter as the team manager. But there are also some inspired casting choices, including Andrew Daly as the team's no-nonsense play-by-play guy and Matt Walsh as Father Pat, a Catholic priest who moonlights as a referee.

Will Jackie lead his team to that coveted fourth-place spot? Will Ed get the girl? Does any of this matter? There are enough individual moments to keep you sufficiently distracted and laughing the whole way through.

Oh, you may be wondering: How did such a doofus come to control an entire basketball team? Jackie made his money with the insanely catchy 1970 R&B hit "Love Me Sexy," a Barry White rip-off that contains lines like: "Baby, wake up. We're naked. And we're sexy."

It will be stuck in your head after the movie is over - you'll probably remember it better than most of the jokes.

"Semi-Pro," a New Line Cinema release, is rated R for language and some sexual content. Running time: 90 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.