MR. 3000 / WIMBLEDON These comedies may be set in the worlds of, respectively, baseball and tennis, yet they both bring to mind the sport of auto racing in that they're strictly Formula One. Yet besides showcasing lots of balls (come to think of it, so does A Dirty Shame), these movies are also similar in that they both manage to transcend their utterly generic storylines thanks to some deft casting. Mr. 3000 is especially tired, reminiscent of all those soggy comedies that Disney's Touchstone arm (which also released this film) used to churn out during the 90s -- the ones that typically starred Jim Belushi. Yet through sheer force of personality, Bernie Mac manages to elevate it to the middle of the standings -- he's clearly enjoying himself in this film, playing a vain baseball player who, nine years after his retirement, discovers that three of his 3,000 hits have been rendered void, thus forcing him to again don the uniform in an attempt to make up the difference. Naturally, the egotist softens in time for the finale, but Mac holds onto the character's prickly qualities longer than expected, thereby adding some spice to this otherwise bland porridge. Likewise, Wimbledon is all been-there-done-that, a romantic comedy in which a struggling British player falls for an American tennis star and finds his game improving as their relationship deepens. Coming from the same outfit that brought us Notting Hill, we expect to see Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts huffing on the court and off; instead, it's Paul Bettany and Kirsten Dunst, and this unlikely match (not to mention the actors' natural charm) provides the necessary bounce to this undemanding trifle. Both movies: 
1/2
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