The story follows Lambeau Fields ( Koechner ), the worst coach ever in the history of sports.. He is responsible for such infamous screw - ups as Bill Buckner’s blunder and advising Mike Tyson to bite Evander Holyfield.. But even though he is a remarkable loser, Lambeau is given one last chance to redeem himself thanks to his old coaching pal Freddie Wiseman ( Apollo Creed himself, Carl Weathers ).. When Lambeau is offered the job of coaching college football for the Heartland State Comebacks, he moves his long - suffering but devoted wife Barb ( Melora Hardin ) and rebellious teenage daughter Michelle to Plainfolk, Texas..

Rated: [ PG - 13 ] For crude and sexual content throughout and some drug material..

Cinema release: 19th October 2007

Running time: 84 minutes

Stars: David Koechner, Carl Weathers, Matthew Lawrence, Brooke Nevin, Jackie Long, Melora Hardin, Jermaine Williams and Martin Spanjers

Lambeau proceeds to assemble the worst - or, in his mind, the best - football team he can, led by reluctant butterfingers quarterback Lance Truman ( Matthew Lawrence ) and flashy wide receiver Trotter ( Jackie Long ), both of whom become involved with the coach’s sexy daughter.. The team’s mentally challenged assistant is iPod ( Jermaine Williams ), a tubby, mentally challenged black kid - a joke on that ” feel - good ” Cuba Gooding Jr. movie Radio.. The Comebacks soon find themselves working together as a team, despite Coach Fields’ often contradictory advice, and earn a shot at the championship Toilet Bowl ( Yes people, that is how low the humor is ) where they will face off against the Lone Star State Unbeatables.. As the Comebacks make their underdog charge towards the championship, Lambeau struggles to hold onto his alienated wife..

No sports movie is left untouched by The Comebacks.. Its victims of parody include Remember the Titans, Rocky Balboa, Coach Carter, Field of Dreams, Seabiscuit, Blue Crush, Stick It, Miracle, The Longest Yard, Bend It Like Beckham, Rudy, Friday Night Lights, The Last Boy Scout, Varsity Blues, Invincible, Lucas, Bring It On, and The Gridiron Gang.. ( I actually enjoyed picking out the movies than the movie it self ) Oh, but the film doesn’t stop there.. It even cannibalizes other sports spoofs such as Dodgeball.. How many generations of loss is that when spoofs start to parody other spoofs?

The director is Tom Brady, who has absolutely nothing to do with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady..

Koechner is such an appealing performer on - screen that it’s a shame his first film as a leading man is so lame.. While we owe the “ stupid comedy ” sub - genre to such classics as Young Frankenstein, Airplane!, Top Secret and The Naked Gun, many subsequent attempts have just been stupid rather than funny.. It can be argued that it took very smart and skillful filmmakers and performers to make such stupid gags and one - liners work so well.. The problem with The Comebacks isn’t necessarily talent - Koechner clearly has it, although he doesn’t get much support from his co - stars - it’s the execution..

Watching The Comebacks, you realize not only how many of these inspirational films get cranked out and how bad they are, but how indistinguishable their scenes are from each other.. Now, the fact that The Comebacks makes fun of another sports parody, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, doesn’t make it a good movie, but it does say something about the pilfering, postmodern, post - ironic age of cinema we live in.. The film, like so many other adolescent subcomedies of its kind - Date Movie, Scary Movie, Swedish Existential Arthouse Movie, etc - is so far from novel it almost makes you think there must be some philosophical basis for such blatantly commerce - motivated referentiality.. Then you realize that two of the minds responsible for the unforgivable sitcoms Dharma & Greg and Yes, Dear wrote the thing and conclude that there wasn’t much thinking involved at all..

Inspirational sports movies are so filled with cliches and conventions that it’s a bore to spoof them, but that’s not why Tom Brady’s supposed comedy is so lame.. Like the low - end entries in the recent rash of Scary Movie - style satires ( Date Movie, Epic Movie ), the ” jokes ” are simply random allusions to movies and TV shows that don’t connect to anything other than the sources they’re referencing..

At the end of The Comebacks, Coach is offered job with a college basketball team called The Sequels - a joke perhaps, but all too horrifying a prospect after watching this dull fumble.. Perhaps somewhere in here there’s the germ of a funny movie about a hapless, hopeless coach, but instead of we’re treated to endless scenes of women getting slammed, thrown and clothes lined, while men’s genitals are grabbed, groped, stroked and tasered.. It’s all just as painful as it sounds..

I give The Comebacks .5 out of 5.. That’s right folks, this is officialy the lowest grade we have given in a movie review..