Woody Harrelson stars in this feel-good comedy as Marcus, an NBA assistant coach who, after getting busted for DUI, is given the ‘sentence’ of coaching an Iowa rec league team of intellectually disabled young men and women. What could have been a condescending or, worse, exploitative movie—particularly in the hands of director Bobby Farrelly (who doesn’t have the greatest track record)—instead finds its heart and delivers where it counts. There’s certainly room for improvement with Marcus’ character development, and some of the comedy lands with a thud, but overall, ‘Champions’ is a winner.
3/5 stars