The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training

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Allan C “Let them play! Let them play! Let them play!” The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training (1977) ***1/2 Engelberg, Tanner, Ogilvie, Rudi, the Agilar Brothers, and Ahmad Abdul Rahim are back! Timmy Lupus even shows up for one scene. But for a sequel that’s minus the original film’s two stars, Walter Matthau and Tatum O’Neal, this sequel is surprisingly winning. Coming off of their last season, the kids have been invited to play an exhibition game at the Houston Astrodome. Team bad boy Kelly Leak (Jackie Earle Haley) steals a van, and the kids set off on their own to Houston. It’s a complete kid fantasy, hitting the road with your elementary school friends without any parents or rules. They buy crap food and thoroughly enjoy staying up late in their cheap hotel rooms on the road to Houston, pooling their limited amount of money together. What makes the film work better than expected is some surprisingly heartfelt storylines and moments. On their way to Houston, Leak reconnected with his estranged father, the always terrific William Devane, convincing him to be the in-name-only coach so they can play the Astrodome exhibition game. Devane clearly doesn’t know his kid, and Kelly has very little interest in getting to know his father, but without words, you can see they both have regrets and want to connect, even if both stubbornly won’t be the first to reach out. The film also has surprising bits of touching comedy, such as an early montage sequence where each of the kids sits at their dinner table telling their parents how much money they need for the trip, ranging from $30 to $80, ending with the two Spanish-speaking brothers asking for their money, with the punchline, “$4. For both of us.” You laugh, but it’s also a bit sad in the inequality and classism. The film was written by Paul Brickman, who’d previously written Jonathan Demme’s CITIZEN BAND and would go on to write and direct the iconic 80s comedy RISKY BUSINESS, which made Tom Cruise a star. BREAKING TRAINING is nowhere as good as the original film, which I will argue is the greatest sports film of all time, but for a sequel without the original stars, director, or writer, it works surprisingly well. And I have to admit, I got a little choked up at the film's finale when the kids play their game, and it looks like the officials aren’t going to let them finish due to time. Totally corny, but I was completely caught up in the moment. Overall, between the sheer joy of watching '70s kids doing '70s kid things eliciting waves of nostalgia, and the surprisingly touching story between Devane and Haley, rewatching this film for the first time in a very long time, I thoroughly enjoyed it far more than I was expecting. Clifton James (the comic relief sheriff in a couple Roger Moore Bond films), Dolph Sweet (GIMME A BREAK! and tons of cop roles), Lane Smith (Perry White from LOIS & CLARK), and Jimmy Baio (Scott’s brother, as the replacement pitcher) also appear in the film.  AI Capsule Review: “The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training” may lack Walter Matthau and Tatum O’Neal, but it delivers a surprisingly heartfelt and nostalgic sequel. Watching the kids hit the road on their own is pure ’70s fantasy fun, while Jackie Earle Haley’s strained father-son subplot adds unexpected emotional weight. Corny yet winning, it captures enough scrappy charm to stand on its own. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/01/25 Full Review Audience Member Better than 2/3 of the comedy movie trilogy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review uncle p Story/Screenplay: (2.5/5) At its core, a nice story that could be funny at times. There just wasn't enough story to fill a feature length film. Duration/Tempo: (2.5/5) At 1 hour and 40 minutes, it's a shorter than average movie that felt a bit longer. Needed to pick up the pace. Cast & Crew: (3/5) William Devane was very good and the kids could be funny, but there wasn't enough from the story to let anyone shine. Summary: (2.5/5) The story had potential, but was stretched too thin to help the cast or diminish the feeling that the film was getting long. A thumbs down. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Fun sequel, but misses the magic from the first film. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/16/20 Full Review Audience Member William Devane & Jackie Earl Haley contribute memorable, meaningful, and relevant performances for any kid like me who grew up in the 70's. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member It's bad news for the Toros when the Bears make the trek to the famed Astrodome, where Kelly Leak reunites with his estranged father. The losses of Matthau and O'Neal definitely hurt the Bears franchise. Members of the Houston Astros (Cesar Cedeno!) make a brief appearance during film's memorable "Let Them Play" scene. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training

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