Caffeinated Clint
The William Dear-directed “Sandlot: Heading Home” shares no similarities – besides, well, the theme of baseball – with the first two films. It’s as far from them as one could imagine – it’s almost a time-travel movie!; how nuts is that?! – and whilst that’s sometimes refreshing, in this case, it’s off-putting.
Danny Nucci, Luke Perry, Sarah Deakins, Jason Bryden, Robin Timpanaro, Dean Hinchey, Sonja Bennett, Cainan Wiebe
When FOX removed series’ stalwart David Mickey Evans, the creator/writer/director/narrator/brainchild of the first two films, from the latest “Sandlot” sequel they didn’t just lose a good filmmaker: They lost everything that made the first two films so richly rewarding – the warmth; the touching characters and situations; the values burnt into the films; and predominantly, the ability to be transported back in time to relive one’s youth and innocence.
The only place this third instalment transports one to is to the land of the slumber.
Despite the fact that Evans had a fantastic stencil planned for a “Sandlot 3”, FOX decided to move on without him – assumingly hiring some suit to write the 35-page script this new is based upon – and now, we’re left with a joyless sequel that’s no more than something baring the same title.
The William Dear-directed “Sandlot: Heading Home” shares no similarities – besides, well, the theme of baseball – with the first two films. It’s as far from them as one could imagine – it’s almost a time-travel movie!; how nuts is that?! – and whilst that’s sometimes refreshing, in this case, it’s off-putting.
It were the carried-on themes from the first film (the baseball-loving pals; the dog theme; the narration by Evans; the cameo by James Earl Jones) that made the sequel near just as good as the early 90s original. Everything has been tossed out here in favour of something ridiculous.
The cheap, messy “Sandlot: Heading Home” fixes on a big-time baseball star (Luke Perry), now an egotistical maniac, who knocks himself out and is transported back in time to the days when he actually enjoyed playing ball, and money wasn’t the most important thing. He gets to rediscover, with a little help from his ‘Sandlot’ pals, the true meaning of the game… and to remember who he really is.
If it isn’t robbing moments from “Back to the Future” or “Peggy Sue got married” – don’t ask me what those kinds of films have to do with a “Sandlot” movie! – “Heading Home” is both cutting costs and cutting creativity. Not only does the production look dirt cheap – with it presumably was – but there’s been little to no thought put into the movie at all, and it’s almost dull.
This is a sad exercise in movie marketing. Nothing to see here folks. Move on.
Rating : 
Reviewer : Clint Morris
