The Final Season 2007

Tasha Robinson, Chicago Tribune: The film's climactic baseball game does crackle with nail-biting energy, but the 90-minute lead-up is full of hokey sentiment and unearned gushiness. Read more

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: Remarkably, the movie rights itself once the actual season begins, focusing on game strategy more than the usual heart-stopping pep talks. Read more

Ted Fry, Seattle Times: Perhaps if Disney had gotten their hands on it, The Final Season would have gotten the spitball polish it needs. Read more

Jennifer Preyss, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: An exciting family picture, worthy of viewing, if only for the warm-fuzzy feeling. Read more

Scott Tobias, AV Club: Stereotypes are meant to exalt small-town values, but The Final Season is proof that it's hard to paint masterpiece in broad strokes. Read more

Ty Burr, Boston Globe: The US corn surplus is in no way eased by The Final Season, an Iowa high school baseball saga that goes heavy on the inspiration, sports-movie cliches, and high-fructose syrup. Read more

Tim Grierson, L.A. Weekly: Though a nice change of pace from the usual sports flick's incessant rah-rah sentimentality, Evans and his film forget that you can't win too many games if you don't occasionally swing for the fences. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: As corny as Iowa and as predictable as an intentional walk. Read more

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: The Final Season is as corny as an Iowa farm field, but as the World Series rolls around, fans of the sport might want to check out this tried-and-true tale of overcoming adversity, beating the odds and banding together for a righteous cause. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: Sports movies have become so generic and so common that it takes something unusual or affecting to spark an audience. The Final Season has neither. Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: Why is it enjoyable to watch sporting events depicted when we know how the games will end -- how they have to end? Where does the tension come from? Why do we care when we know already? Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: For once, here's a sports movie that doesn't feature players who are expected to lose. Read more

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Read more

John Anderson, Variety: There's not quite as much corn in The Final Season as there is in the Iowa farm fields that run through it, but it's close. Read more

Mike Mayo, Washington Post: Star and executive producer Sean Astin must have hoped for another Rudy with this based-on-a-true-story sports picture, but The Final Season is actually an impassioned plea against school consolidation. Read more