Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.0

Major League: Back to the Minors Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman September 12, 2019

Major League: Back to the Minors isn't exactly a spin-off. Sure the story is cut-rate and the antics are familiar, but the film, written and directed by John Warren, does its best to fold in more than just rehashed dramatic and comedic components from the original film and its successor. There's a motley crew of returning characters amidst the not so frenetic but nevertheless enjoyable baseball romps, both the on-field hilarity and the off field shenanigans. And that actually makes some sense. Anyone who follows baseball knows that it's not just a game of 90 feet but also a game of perseverance and change. Beyond lateral movement in the majors there's plenty of ups and downs through the minors, which is comprised of several different levels and populated with an assortment of individuals ranging from stars in the making to those holding on for dear baseball life, be they struggling draftees or former major leaguers once again trudging through the grind in hopes of living the dream one more time. Back to the Minors does well to capture that hodgepodge and it's a surprisingly fun little excursion that manages to be both novel and familiar, hearkening back to the other films while blazing its own path through the more unique and challenging minefield of minor league ball.

Gus Cantrell (Scott Bakula) is still a young man by most standards, but he’s an old man in the baseball world. He’s hanging on by a thread but it’s obvious the end is near. He’s pitching in the twilight of his career in the Twins organization. One day, he’s approached by the franchise’s owner, Roger Dorn (Corbin Bernsen), to mange the Twins’ AAA squad. Gus takes the position; it’s a good springboard to a career in the game now that his playing days are done. It doesn’t take long for Gus to shake things up a bit. He transitions the team’s eldest player, a 20-year minor leaguer affecteonality known as “Pops” (Thom Barry), from the outfield to first base. He has to discipline his hotshot player, Billy Anderson (Walton Goggins), a natural talent known as “Downtown” for his prodigious ability to hit the longball, when he fails to put a bunt down per coach’s orders. The club struggles but its fortunes begin to change when a familiar face joins the team: Pedro Cerrano (Dennis Haysbert). And the team will have to be at its best when Gus accepts a challenge from the Twins’ haughty Major League manager Leonard Huff (Ted McGinley), who is also Gus' rival and personal nemesis, to play an exhibition game against the big club.

Back to the Minors is not without connection to the original two films. Corbin Bernsen returns as Roger Dorn, aged a bit and definitely retired for good from the field of play, unlike the previous film when one of his first orders of business as Indians general manager was to put himself in uniform. Wayward backstop Rube Baker, again played by Eric Bruskotter, returns, as does another Major League II newcomer, Takaaki Ishibashi, playing a different character. Harry Doyle is back, too, broadcasting the Buzz games and turning away from booze to Diet Coke which helps his on-air demeanor but lessens the characters’ effectiveness as a gruff and honest voice of the team. It’s a fairly eccentric collection of players under Gus’ care, both new and old alike. The group doesn’t gel nearly as well as the collections of misfits in the first two films, but there’s at least enough connective tissue to keep fans interested and happy to watch them suit up once again, even if it’s not in Indians garb.

The story is of little consequence, focusing on Gus' antagonist relationship with Twins skipper Leonard Huff while also following an up-and-coming slugger, in addition to the motley crew of players at varying stages of their careers. None of it will be remembered for dramatic excellence or W. P. Kinsella-level writing -- this isn't Major League's answer to The Natural or Field of Dreams -- but as a time killer it's a solid enough effort with the blend of new characters and perspectives and returning players and familiar shenanigans.

Major League: Back to the Minors Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Major League: Back to the Minors slides onto Blu-ray with a well-rounded 1080p presentation. This is a much nicer image than Sony's presentation of Major League II, which releases on the same day as this (and is also Manufactured on Demand). It's imperfect but it's also very enjoyable. Grain is retained for the duration. Textures are pleasantly rendered. Facial features are firm and appropriately sharp, revealing intricate pores and hairs with pleasing efficiency. Baseball uniforms are likewise crisp and showcase the fabrics, patches, and team lettering and numbers with impressive clarity, even at slightly beyond close-up range. Locker rooms, baseball diamonds, and other locations likewise enjoy firm foundational details. Worn and grimy cinder book walls in various clubhouses -- look at chapter eight -- are one of the environmental highlights. Colors are strong, with good pop and saturation to clothes, whether civilian attire or baseball uniforms. Green grasses and vegetation appear true and variously colored bleachers and stadium seats pop. Black levels are fine, as are flesh tones. The image is home to some pops and speckles; the 1:11:28 mark sees some of the most dense examples. Fortunately, these are not regular occurrences. No significant encode issues are apparent. This is a very nice presentation in total.

Major League: Back to the Minors Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Major League: Back to the Minors features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack, but it may as well be a two-channel presentation. Any surround seep is limited to barely audible supports, whether considering music or ambience, such as baseball sound effects or cheering crowds. Even the most sonically intense moments, which really mean anything beyond core dialogue, lack intensity and engagement beyond the front. Musical clarity is good and spreads pleasantly wide along the front. Bats smacking balls, fastballs popping leather, and runners sliding into base find agreeable definition; it's just too bad the track cannot expand to create a more authentic total environment at the ball games. Dialogue delivery is excellent. It's center focused, well detailed, and perfectly prioritized.

Major League: Back to the Minors Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Sony's Blu-ray release of Major League: Back to the Minors contains no supplemental content. There is a main menu screen with options to "Play Movie" and select "Subtitles." No DVD or digital copies are included. This release does not ship with a slipcover. A curious disc or player glitch: upon initial insertion the film randomly began playing back at around the 69-minute mark despite having never before been in the player.

Major League: Back to the Minors Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Major League: Back to the Minors is certainly the least of the trilogy, but it's nevertheless a fun, if not often familiar, exercise in sequel construction and world building. It's moderately funny, not particularly engaging, but it is nice to see a few familiar faces in roles that stretch them out a bit beyond whatever fans saw in one or both of the previous films. Sony's featureless MOD disc looks fairly good and sounds decent and it's a nice little step up from what's seen and heard on MLB Network, which practically plays this movie on loop. It's overpriced and recommended only on sale.