Orange County Register

Will Ferrell has made another sports movie, and in this one, he plays an overgrown, adult adolescent who wears silly hair and funny-looking clothes that generally are too small.

How novel. As an actor, Lassie showed more range than this guy does.

Not that it matters. Ultimately, every new movie about sports is, at best, fighting to be No. 2. The all-time champ never will be dethroned, having retired undefeated, untouched and Underall, as in Lacey.

We’re talking about a movie that has it all — golf, gambling, nudity, a dancing gopher, a Dalai Lama reference and the perfect number of groin hits.

“Caddyshack” is “Citizen Kane,” with a fart scene. This is a movie in which a floating Baby Ruth candy bar has a starring role, and you can’t say that about “Lawrence of Arabia.”

Living this close to Hollywood, trust us, we understand these things. We know expert dialogue when we hear, “Gunga-galunga.”

Sure, some people are partial to movies such as “Hoosiers” or “The Natural” or “Field of Dreams.” Oh, please.

We don’t want some intricate plot gumming up our sports movies. We don’t want a love story or tears or manufactured drama. And what we really don’t want is Adam Sandler, anything Adam Sandler. Do you think he practices being unfunny, or is he just gifted that way?

We want our sports movies to be just like our sports — entertaining and goofy and as memorable as Ty Webb saying, “Don’t sell yourself short, Judge. You’re a tremendous slouch.”

From Carl Spackler to Dr. Beeper to Smoke Porterhouse, there’s no topping the brilliance that went into the casting of “Caddyshack.” There’s no way to improve on “How about a Fresca?” You simply can’t write a better booger-eating scene.

No, the chase for the championship is over. “Caddyshack” rules. Runner-up is all that remains.

Tiger Woods never has been this good on a golf course. One sports reference perfectly sums up this movie’s place in history: “It’s in the hole!”

– Jeff Miller, The Orange County Register

What’s your favorite sports movie of all time? Give us your best Roger Ebert in the comment box below.

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