Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		2.5

The Scout Blu-ray Movie Review

Damn Yankees. There they go again flashing the cash and landing the prize player.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 17, 2012

If only he could pitch.

Well, in fact, he can pitch. Truth be told, he can pitch like Cy and hit like Babe, but the question is whether he has the mental makeup to become the greatest who ever lived. The Scout is a solid Baseball movie about a young boy who must overcome his secret past if he's to succeed on the big stage of the World Series and under the bright lights of Yankee Stadium. But like most of the great Baseball films, The Scout isn't so much about the game as it is the player, the way the game shapes the man but also the way the man shapes the game. The Scout shows that talent alone isn't enough to make it. Any fool can throw or hit to some degree, but coming to terms with the ability; the possibilities; and most important, finding balance in one's life, overcoming mental and emotional hurdles not for the paycheck or for the glory but for one's own personal well-being; are all keys to finding success in life. Otherwise, it's a life unfulfilled, no matter how much physical or mental talent may exist. Sadly, the film lacks a real hard-core depth despite efforts to the contrary, but as a fairly involved film that combines drama, humor, and heart, The Scout proves itself a fair film, a big leaguer but perhaps not a future Hall-of-Famer baseball picture or even an All-Star amongst its peers.

For Love of the Game, The Natural Rookie plays on the Field of Dreams Sandlot far away from The Fans of the Major League.

Those crazy pinstripers are at it again. Cashman and company (yeah, he wasn't the GM when this movie was released, but it fits well, so there) have thrown a heap load of dinero at a super ballplayer, but this isn't just another mega-bucks free agent. No, Steve Nebraska (Brendan Fraser) is a phenom who's pretty much Bryce Harper, Stephen Starsburg, and Aroldis Chapman (why can't the Pirates ever get these players?) rolled into one. But this wasn't just another free agent mega deal in the same category of a C.C. or an A-Rod. No, Nebraska is a head case youngster pitching in some no-name Mexican league in front of tens of dozens of fans. He's a one-man baseball team, striking out every hitter he faces and knocking the ball around the yard each time he comes to bat. But he's happy where he's at. After all, all the girls love him and he never has to pay for his food at the local taquería. But when disgraced Yankees scout Al Percolo (Albert Brooks) happens upon young Nebraska, he believes he's found the talent of a lifetime. The Yankees win a bidding war for Nebraska's services, and it's promised that if the Bronx Bombers make the World Series, Nebraska will toe the rubber for game one. As the Yanks inch closer to the American League pennant, it's revealed that with Nebraska's incredible talent comes a serious mental blockage that just might cost him his career, Percolo his reputation, and the Yankees a whole lot of bread. Nebraska finds himself in serious sessions with a therapist by the name of H. Aaron (Dianne Wiest), but will it be enough to get Nebraska over his mental hangups in time for the big game?

The Scout is a solid all-around film, but the sad fact of the matter is that the movie lacks the emotional heft it strives to incorporate. It's too easy, too silly at times, and the resolution comes far too easily and the film's end seems somewhat disingenuous. But it still works in some good themes and life lessons, just at the expense of realism with that ending that's far too tough to swallow. The movie transforms into a cartoon, seeming to negate much of the human drama that seems to want to be the center of attention. The film's tale that hints at the place of destiny, how something terrible might yield something special, how perseverance is such an important tool in the daily grind of life, and how breaking free from convention and looking for good in places others have long since abandoned, never quite comes together. The Scout plays with a disappointingly scattered rhythm, serving up chunks of dramatic goodness and comic gold here and there, but rarely, if ever, does it all really gel. The characters are rather superficial -- there's the head case phenomenon, the greedy scout, and the loving therapist -- and never manage to escape from the generalities of generic filmdom. Brendan Fraser's character in particular disappoints. The talent is unrealistically high -- a robot probably couldn't perform at that level throwing only slightly over 100 MPH -- and the character lacks depth, try as the film might to shape him otherwise. The movie might have worked better as an uplifting but somewhat dark tragedy-to-glory film in the style of The Natural, but as it is the The Scout is a hodgepodge of awkward humor and unfulfilled drama that's enjoyable but not the movie it might have been.

Despite its dramatic shortcomings, awkward structure, and unrealistically goofy cartoon ending, The Scout manages to entertain. Though it often feels like a baseball parody, so great is Nebraska's talent (even Bugs Bunny had to play all nine positions on the field because batters actually made contact off of him), it's a fairly fun and light ride on the ladder up from baseball purgatory to the biggest stage in the world. The movie charms, at times, as Brooks worms his way into signing talent and dealing with problems in such a way so as to keep himself looking as good as possible. Brooks plays the character with a slimy, self-centered grace that's one of the most polished performances of a baseball creep ever captured. But Brooks also manages to give the character a heart, to come a long way through the journey that is the story, to learn that the world doesn't revolve around himself, his talent as a scout, the abilities of the players he evaluates, or even the game of baseball itself, but rather personal well-being, his and those around him. Winning and losing at baseball doesn't matter, but playing the game of life, playing it well, and winning on an inward, personal level matters more than money and strikeout totals and home run distances. Brooks is easily the film's bright spot, so bright, in fact, it was named for him rather than his protégé. Fraser captures the goofy side of his character well but struggles to dig deeper into the his more difficult emotional blockages. One might rightly assume that lesser performance is due in large part to a script that never quite settles into a rhythm or finds the character. And if the script can't find the character, one can't fault Fraser for not finding him, either. The Scout could have been more, but as it is it's a picture that merely tells a fairy tale baseball story rather than find a deeper human drama, which is what it appears to be aiming for.

The Scout Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Scout's 1080p, 1.85:1-framed transfer is fairly consistent, but shows a few warts. The transfer retains a natural grain structure, though there are several scenes which appear a little more worked over than most, a bit on the plastic and smooth side. Generally, however, details are rather good. Fairly intricate facial textures, Al's trademarks straw hat, baseball uniforms, even grasses and dirt at the ballpark often appear sharp and filmic. Colors are steady, perhaps not the definition of absolutely authentic, but bright green grass, the Mexican league red uniforms, Yankee blue, and other assorted colors are presented fairly and with a consistent balance and contrast. The image is home to a few scratches and pops, but such are rare occurrences on any sort of heavy level. Banding, blocking, and the like are virtually absent from the proceedings. This one's stable and generally nice looking. It's far from the best catalogue title out there, but considering some of the lackluster-to-awful transfers of Fox catalogue titles coming out of Anchor Bay, this one rates rather highly amongst its peers.

The Scout Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Scout throws its best heater and comes up with a suitable Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. This is a fair, somewhat involved soundtrack that's neither immaculately clear nor disappointingly muddled and sonically shallow. Music enjoys some surround support but seems audibly imbalanced, favoring one back corner and the opposite front side. It's only slightly noticeable, and only noticeable at times, but it does occasionally sound a bit off-kilter. Otherwise, clarity is fine and the presentation is generally accurate. Ambience is fair; the light applause and chatter at the Mexican league game and the heavier, more constant and intense Yankee stadium atmospherics are nicely inserted and somewhat immersive, the track using the surround channels to fair effect in these moments. Other ambience, such as falling rain in one scene, only seems to scatter across the front. Character dialogue, announcer play-by-play, stadium announcements, and other varieties of spoken word come across clearly and naturally. This track isn't a blazing 112 mile-per-hour fastball, but the end result is of Major League quality.

The Scout Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of The Scout contains only the film's trailer (1080p, 2:47).

The Scout Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Scout certainly doesn't throw a cinematic perfect game (well, OK, in a way it does), but it's a decent performer, a middle-of-the-rotation workhorse that gets the job done but doesn't always seem to be in consistent command of its stuff. The movie oddly combines heavy human drama with comedy, and the result is neither one really working all that well, though the movie does earn a few laughs. The ending is ridiculous, but in total The Scout is worth signing to a big league contract. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of The Scout won't be relegated to the minors, but like the movie it's no All-Star. Decent video and audio are accompanied only by the film's trailer. Worth a rent and perhaps a purchase to round out the baseball movie Blu-ray collection.