Ladybugs Blu-ray Review
“Ladybugs” is a groan worthy sports-comedy.
Written by Curtis Burch, 1992’s “Ladybugs” revolves around a middle-aged man named Chester who is hoping to make some big changes in his life. He desires a promotion at work so that he can take things with his girlfriend Bess to the next level. Things don’t quite turn out as planned when he ends up sucking up to his boss and gets roped into coaching a youth girls soccer team called the Ladybugs. In previous years the Ladybugs were champions, but in this season they’re all new players save for one. The team turns out to be terrible and Chester soon finds himself in way over his head. He seeks help from the trouble maker son of Bess (Matthew) who just happens to be a soccer player. Chester takes it a step further and has Matthew pose as a female soccer player in order for the team to start winning. Matthew, meanwhile, has a massive crush on one of the players (Kimberly- the daughter of Chester’s boss) which further complicates matters. Will the absurd plan blow up in everyone’s face or will things work out in the end?
Director Sidney J. Furie’s PG-13 90’s sports-comedy is the type of movie you look back on and wonder what they were thinking when they made it. It’s true that the somewhat edgy “Ladybugs” has some nostalgic value for those that grew up on the movie in the 90’s, but it’s tough to swallow nowadays. While the movie does have some positive messages about believing in yourself, they are undercut by the sexist cross-dressing storyline not to mention the whole notion of cheating. Sure, the comedy does show that the girls team didn’t need Matthew to win, but that whole angle is undone by the final joke in which an entire boys baseball team are pretending to be girls. The addition of some unsettling scenes (the fitting room scene and Matthew’s fantasy sequence) doesn’t help the movie either nor does the lack of characterization outside of Chester and Matthew (the Ladybugs team members are definitely sidelined here for the most part).
Rodney Dangerfield is able to do his usual schtick here, but it seems like an odd vehicle for the comedian in that his material is a bit watered down. The late talented Jonathan Brandis fares the best here with a charismatic performance as Matthew. Jackée Harry (the assistant coach Julie) and Vinessa Shaw (Kimberly) of “Hocus Pocus” fame also turn in memorable supporting performances.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 1.78:1. How does it look? A quality catalogue title hi-def upgrade.
Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? The 5.1 track is adequate though hardly revelatory.
The lone extra is a theatrical trailer.
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