User Reviews

went to an advanced screening with mom and we were laughing crying and cheering all over ourselves and with the other moviegoers in the theater. i mean, seriously we all clapped and jumped out of our seats. what a treat! the premise is simple: take a self-involved ambitious businessman and stick him with three talented but hungry baseball prospects and they end up changing each other for the better. plus, the cast is superb! Alan Arkin, Bill Paxton and Suraj Sharma, Madhur Mittal who play their real-life counterparts, wow just wow!

my family loves sports movies and my mother loves baseball movies in particular, so seeing this with her on mother's day was perfect. if you love baseball movies or know kids who love baseball (or any sports for that matter), Million Dollar Arm is a must-see feel good film. it's The Rookie meets Hoop Dreams.... go see it

Based on a true story, Million Dollar Arm is a predictable motivating sport film from the Disney stable.

Jon Hamm with his flawlessly groomed stubble and cocky grin plays the haughty sports agent Bernstein with ease. As a groomed smooth talker in sharply tailored corporate suits, there are few to match Hamm and he does what is expected of him. The two main characters of the movie are Suraj Sharma, the star of Life of Pi who plays Rinku and Madhur Mittal, the older brother in Slumdog Millionaire who plays Dinesh. Both of them perform their roles very beguilingly and inspire affection from the crowd. The rest of the supporting cast also perform their roles very well especially Lake Bell who was very impressive in her cameo role as Brenda.

I might be a bit biased since I am from India but the comedy in the movie is hilarious...I found myself laughing throughout the movie enjoying every moment of it. The direction and editing are also pretty impressive. In a nutshell, all the elements in the movie combine really well and the result is a fine movie which has plenty to offer.

So, overall, Million Dollar Arm is a finely made movie which will impress you despite being predictable and is certainly worth a watch.

My Rating : 8.5 out of 10

In terms of content, it's hard not to like MILLION DOLLAR ARM. There's a winning performance from Jon Hamm as the harassed agent trying his best to re-establish himself, while discovering the importance of looking after his charges; complemented by Lake Bell as the next- door neighbor, the intern who understands more about the young Indian boys' predicament of inhabiting a completely alien culture. As the two boys, Suraj Sharma and Madhur Mittal are particularly good at communicating - often through nonverbal means - their sheer bewilderment once they are transplanted from their rural Indian surroundings to metropolitan Los Angeles. Although they eventually make a success of their quest to become major league baseball pitchers, they nonetheless find it difficult to adapt to alien surroundings.

And yet there is a strong sense in which Craig Gillespie's film serves to perpetuate rather than negotiate stereotypes about the Indian nation and its people, and the Americans' responses to it. Hamm's JB is predictably confused by the disorganized ways in which the Indian people do business, especially in his interactions with Vivek (Darshan Jariwala). By implication, therefore, the American (i.e. efficient) ways, are naturally superior. Meanwhile aging coach Ray (Alan Arkin) rejects the Indian way of life altogether, as he complains about the prospect of contracting the so-called "Delhi belly" (an upset stomach), and returns to America on the first available flight.

Once the Indian boys are transplanted to the United States, they are frequently used as butts for cheap jokes; there is one scene in a hotel, where they experience problems with the elevator, which is particularly orientalist in tone. The film seems not to be aware of contemporary realities; in economic terms India is no longer a backward country but gradually becoming an economic superpower in its own right.

Nonetheless the film does make an effort to recognize the strengths of Indian cultures; the emphasis on family stability and the ability to converse contrasts starkly with JB's life, in which he is so busy that he has little time either to consider marriage or even to talk to anyone at length. The Indian characters also take time for daily prayers; the contemplative life is as significant as the active life in human beings. Perhaps the western world has become too secular to understand this.

MILLION DOLLAR ARM is an ambivalent piece, at once celebratory of yet still reluctant to recognize the strength of contemporary Indian cultures. Yet it's still worth a look.

Actually a very effective movie. It's got some great performances along with a great script. Its funny at times and keeps you entertained At times though moments are stretched and it is very predictable. Hamm gives a good strong performance and Arkin just cracked me up! It's not the best movie in the world but its worth giving a look. I think down the road it will be looked at as very underrated and it has a reason. The reason is that this movie is how a movie should be, a funny, smart, family drama with good performances and leaves you with a feel good mood after exiting the theater. Its appropriate for all audiences And sometimes thats all a movie needs.

In a spate of recent sports themed movies, all of which were good, I have to say I consider this one the best. Toss together some baseball history, an excellent script, terrific casting, great acting, a bit of the squalor, beauty and toe-tapping music of India and Viola! You end up with a good film. To try and single out one single actor in this film I liked the most or was most impressed with is impossible. Every one was amazing. You don't need to be a baseball fan or even know that much about the game to appreciate this picture. I and my companion (who is about as far from a sports-minded person as you could find) for the viewing were both thrilled with this one. When the people coming out of the opposite door at the end of the picture smile and say, "Good movie, wasn't it?" You know you've seen a good movie. There are some I want to see again….this is one.

Once again a great musician with Australian film-maker from India done an Indo-Hollywood script. Its simple and pleasing to the senses. Its the story of converting an Indian amateur thrower into a base ball player in U.S.

JON HAMM and some few others have decent screen presence. The changeover from India TO US seems beautiful. Very close to life not mostly the story of Hollywood.

There is no single match is played in the screen. But still we can feel the importance of any sport other than cricket which is hyped much in India. Mostly the movie is funny humorous and rarely has some bits of good writing which is emotional.

In response to a question 'which god will you pray'' the protagonists says that ''I don't pray. But I do work''. Yet another impressing scene is an Indian coach given a chance not just to laugh but to encourage the players whom selected for. Its inspiring.

Above all the 'thirakkatha kattukkulle(திறக்காத காட்டுக்குள்ளே)' a tamil song runs when the screen fall was amazing to feel.

Finally I would like to say just go if you like a movie with simple real stories. The music just take care of the rest.

... the movie drops several IMDb rating points.

A strange little film that is not really Disney (seems to have been picked up post production) nor a true sports film nor even a feel-gooder.

Think that the critics are confused by the fact that until Alan Arkin (who just gets better with age) leaves frame at about the 20 min mark, the film is almost an "8" and then drops to a "6" as pacing and editing problems mount up.

Watch Lake Bell who steals all her scenes with finesse and grace. Cast in a Sandra Bullock role, she becomes the glue that keeps the film together as the editing fails, but she is too little too late.

They do bring Arkin back at the 1:41 mark, which once again elevates the film, but at the same time it underscores how uneven this production really is.

Could have been so much better.

The Hollywood's exploration of India based subjects is continuing. I have been enjoying those. Something quite refreshing which traveling on a new perspective to entertain the world audience. Especially, this movie was not a bigger one like 'Slumdog Millionaire' or 'Life of Pi', but cute emotional family drama like 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel'.

It was a biopic-sport-drama about an American sports agent, J. B. Bernstein, who brought two young fastest arm Indians to the States to train as the professional baseball pitchers. Before that, he conducts a reality show called 'Million Dollar Arm' in various Indian locations to find the perfect one. In the end he gets two and takes back them to the country. What follows is the cultural collision where these two finds hard to fit in and perform. With many inspiring lines and tears in our eyes it comes to the conclusion.

It was a nice story and inspiring. This movie teaches many things like about family values, sharing culture, hard work for a better future, having faith, true love and all the above the most deserved second chance. It was a predictable story. The minor problem with the movie was it won't explain thoroughly some of the contents it portrays. It is due to cultural different some will have a hard time to figure it out the meaning of it. But for South Asians and Indo-American it will be a perfect movie.

The movie had more than sufficient humorous scenes and many of them were in an Indian accent. I had a great time laughing for those comedies. Those comedies are because of the difference pronunciation of the same word between the people of two countries. The character Amit is the center of the attract when it comes to the humour. In the other end, especially in the second half the story drags most of its parts towards the sentiments. I can't say it was unnecessary, but truly was impeccable and touching.

''They need to know that you care them''

I never knew this director. After checking out his filmography, yeah, I have watched many and liked a couple of his movies, especially 'Lars and the Real Girl'. He did a great job, especially shooting in Indian summer is not an easy task. He himself told in Q&A meet about his struggles. All the actors well cooped. John Hamm's one of the best performances. No doubt he was remarkable.

The boys from 'Slumdog Millionaire' and 'Life of Pi' are the two Indian characters. Suraj Sharma as Rinku and Madhur Mittal as Dinesh did justice to the respective roles, though they were not similar kind of face to the real ones like usually filmmakers choose for a biopic. They were really good, did key performances alongside John Hamm's JB character. Lake Bell was a surprised attraction of the movie. I found her kind of cute in some of the scenes than never before. And other major attractions were Alan Akin with his usual incredible show in the small span, and a few others, especially that Indian character called Amit.

Even before it was released many had criticised it by saying a TV movie and so 90s. But I had faith in it and watched and it never disappointed me. I have already said in my many reviews that I love tearjerker movies, so it was my perfect one. Some mighty one's are releasing on the same week this movie hitting the screen. I believe this is the only one pure family drama that one could ask for an alternate. In fact best by so far in this summer, according to the family friendly films. I highly recommend it, but all you need is to have a low expectation.

Feel good, fun film, very predictable but still manages to hold attention thanks to its Indian flavor and the self-discovery some of the characters go through, particularly Jon Hamm.

Jon is a sports agent down to his last throw of dice when he convinces a Chinese entrepreneur (Tzi Ma) to fund a search for new baseball pitcher from India's vast pool of cricket bowlers, setting it up as a talent hunt, criss-crossing the country. After many a hiccup, they finally narrow it down to 2 candidates, Suraj and Madhur and whisk them, along with Pitobash (a wanna be baseball coach, translator) to the USA to get them to train, get ready for a tryout in a very tight deadline. Things don't go exactly as planned and Jon at one point complains about having signed up for a talent contest, not to become a primary care-giver.

His business partner, Aasif (remember him from Ghost Town ?) and tenant, Lake Bell, are the ones helping keep things on track, while Alan Arkin and Bill Paxton as the baseball scout and coach, try to help with their wise counsel, while Darshan Jariwala plays a cameo.

This is a film that doesn't really go deep but keeps things moving while skimming through what the characters are going through. The adjustment issues – Jon's to India and then later for the Indian trio in America are humorously and quickly told. The relationship between Jon and Lake – beginning with a broken down washing machine, then Skype and later at home is crucial to the plot. And most fascinating of all is watching Jon's character, the deal hungry, self-centered sports agent, try and figure out what life is about – of course, with a few helpful nudges from friends

Sport movies usually suffer from predictable endings and this one is no exception. It drags a bit in the second half too but the music score by A R Rahman helps gloss over that. It's a true story apparently but one, surprisingly not too many Indians are aware of, so in that sense, the chief objective of doing the talent hunt, to popularize baseball in India, doesn't really seem to have worked. Unfortunately, going by the low key promotion, release and the small crowds, even the film wont help do that here

More at ApurvBollywood at blogspot

OK, I admit that you could probably predict the course of the movie just from seeing the trailer. However, this movie makes you forget about its predictability. The acting was superb, you really feel for the characters and what they are going through. You want them to succeed and surpass the adversities. With that being said, this movie will make you laugh, cry, and smile. It's just one of those feel good movies. In fact, the entire theatre audibly laughed and cheered on the boys. This is the first time I've ever seen a theatre audience so engaged in a movie. I recommend this movie for everyone. If you're looking for a feel good, charming movie, this is it!

Sometime keeps you on the edge of your seat with emotions all over the place wanting the kids to succeed , however the lack of baseball rather than politics is too much of a difference to be higher than a seven.

I saw this movie in theaters for two reasons: 1. I'm a huge baseball fan; and 2. I watch Med Men (i.e. the Jon Hamm factor). Even after 20 or so minutes, when I knew exactly what this movie would be, I still really, really wanted to like it. Unfortunately, this one is schmaltzy "Disney" through and through.

For a basic plot summary, "Million Dollar Arm" tells the story of how sports agent J.B. Bernstein (Hamm) starts a competition called Million Dollar Arm in order to find a major league baseball player from the relatively untapped market of India. The two athletes he finds, Rinku (Suraj Sharma) and Dinesh (Madhur Mittal), are in for quite a culture shock as they travel to America for the first time and have to essentially learn baseball from scratch.

First of, let me be clear in that I'm not attaching a star-ranking to the overall story here. It is truly a fascinating and inspiring tale for baseball fans and human-interest fans alike.

As a movie, though, "Million Dollar Arm" falls far short of being great. The main problem? It doesn't have a clear focus, so it tries to do too much and doesn't really nail anything. This could have been a hard-core baseball fan movie. It could have been a love story. It could have been a redemption story. It could have been a new culture assimilation piece. Had the filmmakers looked at the story through just one of those three scopes (and just bolstered it with shades of the others), it would really have worked.

Unfortunately, director Craig Gillespie (or maybe the Disney producers) tries to cram every single theme possible into one movie. It really feels like the old "throw the kitchen sink at 'em" method in terms of trying to evoke every possible emotion from the audience. I realize that this movie is supposed to have a broad, family-based appeal, but but focusing on everything the producers ended up focusing on nothing.

The two biggest wastes in this movie? 1. Hamm, a terrific actor who plays as transparent of a character as one can see on screen; and 2. The fact that hard-core baseball fans like myself will not enjoy the baseball aspects of this movie. It is made for the family set first and foremost.

Thus, though I wanted very badly to enjoy this movie and all the right pieces existed for that to happen, they just didn't come together. The "Indian culture" angle was interesting, but not nearly as compelling as, say, "Slumdog Millionaire", and recently baseball-themed movies like "Trouble with the Curve" and "Moneyball" will appeal much more to the die-hards.

If you looked up "family movie" in the dictionary, this film would be listed there. Nothing exceptional, but enough fun, laughs and story to go around. Great casting and some great moments...even if the script could have been slightly less cliche.

CANDID REVIEWS: Million Dollar Arm Could have been So much More! Still good!

Woof! Once again, Hollywood reaches out to India! This time it's Sports. Well, Disney's new movie- the Million Dollar Arm had so much potential just could not lift the on screen drama to reach out to a movie lover's heart.

First Things First- Movie is good for a one time watch!

Secondly, could have been much better than Jerry Mcguire and Seabuscuit there there been Tom Cruise or Mark Wahlberg as the lead actor and Danny Boyle as Director.

The Story is about a Sports Agent, who is on the edge of losing big time on career! The Million Dollar Arm- an Idea to find Pitchers of Baseball (Read- Strong Throwing Arm), from a Cricket lover country-India!

Idea struck where people turned out in big numbers for the competition of fastest throwing arm. Two guys were finally selected who could throw the ball consistently over 80 miles/hour. The two guys were Dinesh (Slumdog Millionaire's Jamaal)and Rinku (Life Of Pie Fame).

The movie is filled with good actors except the lead actor Jon Hamm, everyone has acted good. Another letdown was the background music. Sorry A R Rehman, not quite there this time! Just because the movie is shot in India doesn't mean only Sitaar and Tabla is to be used. And also the Direction seemed average.

Apart from a few spark of brilliance in the movie, movie is average. But the feeling of an Indian being tested on American Soild, will fill your heart with emotions.

The Movie is about togetherness and belief. Movie is about the feeling that, business is run best when you commit to it and put your true heart into it!

Overall a good watch!

Going with a 6.5 Stars(on the generous side)!

Not Yours Just a Candid Reviewer

www.candidreviews.in

When you leave theater you may feel why Bennett Miller of Moneyball didn't sign this project, though Craig done a good job. He kept the pace cracking jokes but one may feel what he's trying to convince the audience. Is it about the boys struggle or about the life of J. B. Bernstein. If you're looking forward for a baseball game, Man.. stay on your couch grab a coke, turn on your TV.

Jon Hamm got the texture of one classic fine actor. He proved it through the series Mad Men. The film is a mix of hope, courage, determination and struggle that one face in a situation, through the eyes of these two fine players from India and one great hero. These will remain in your thoughts till the last pitch.

First, let me say I LOVE sports movies. Second, it is rare that I give any movie higher than a rating of 8. This movie has it all--and it's not really a "sports" movie.

To begin with, there is a great story. The characters are well developed and the scenes in India provide just the right background for what these young men must have gone through in their transformation. There was more that one heart-jerking moment without ever being maudlin. I was prepared to give this a lower score because I was sure the love-interest story was contrived just for the movie, but it turns out to be true.

Be sure to stay for the credits, which has many "real-life" photos as well as more scenes from India, and updates on most of the characters. I was disappointed to see there wasn't a follow-up on Aash who provided the initial inspiration for the concept, but I'm guessing he/that WAS created for movie.

While sports movies usually follow a tried-and-true formula, and this one hones pretty close to that formula, it is still refreshing nonetheless and quite enlightening. I was not at all familiar with this story, and am interested in finding out more.

And lastly, how refreshing it is to see a good movie (set in professional sports, no less) that has NO obscene language. Other filmmakers, take a look at how successful and enjoyable this movie is without a profanity laced (or drenched) script.

This kind of unsentimental character piece needs a tight focus so all of the nuances of said characters shine through. Well, the characters in this film have a lot of depth and the realism with which they are portrayed by the actors is shocking at times. From an artistic standpoint, there were some plot elements and character developments I didn't think were totally needed. They do however drive the story, which seemed to be their purpose, so I can accept them. Hamm is one of the world's supreme artistic talents and he should do more serious work than any other movie star. The cinematography is stark and bare, with only the soundtrack adding some effect.

Regardless of how people say the film was a Disney Film, predictable, etc, unaware of this true story, all I can say is that I thoroughly enjoyed the film. Being an Indian student in America, the film connected me to my culture in India. The background music, the sentiment, and the portrayal of Indian traditions made me feel nostalgic of how I miss my home back in India. All I can say is that watching this movie made me feel like I was in India enjoying this experience with Rinku and Dinesh! The music was excellent. AR Rahman killing it as usual! Suraj Sharma has a bright acting future and Amit looked very cute. Excellent film! Go India!

This is a well-intentioned film, based on a true story, of a sports agent trying to score a big break by being the first to raise interest in baseball to the potentially huge audience in India. Since it is a Disney film, it tends to follow the underdog-makes-good formula without detouring far from the predictable course. As such, it does not live up to the enchantment in director Craig Gillespie's prior work "Lars and the Real Girl," perhaps being constrained by the true story element or the oversight at the Mouse House. Still, it is a generally likable film and one that is pretty safe for the whole family.

Jon Hamm does a competent job as the lead sports agent finding his way in India and in his own life. Mr. Hamm is well cast as his considerable charm helps to raise the scenes above the dialog and plot which at times can fall to the level of the made-for-TV genre.

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I am a pretty big sports fan. Despite this, though, I can be fairly picky with my sports movies. A few general questions that I always ask. First, why was this movie made? There are a ton of great moments that happen in sports, but not all of them deserve movies to made of them. And along with that, sometimes an ordinary event is glorified in the movie, which causes you to raise an eyebrow when you learn the actual events. Next, how faithful is this to the actual events? Yes, I know this is Hollywood and they are going to change things. But if they change things too much, it can be a problem. For example, if the actual person portrayed in the movie doesn't like what Hollywood did with them, that is a problem. Finally, sports movies can be really cliché and predictable because there are only really two options for the ending -- the team/player succeeds in their goal or the team/player fails, but a lesson is learned. So what else do you bring to the table that will give your movie substance and avoid being just a cliché sports movie?

Going into Million Dollar Arm, I was actually really excited because Disney had been raving about this movie for quite some time. I'm happy to report that it passes this test with flying colors. First off, yes this is a movie that deserved to be made. And no, it's not just an ordinary event that was glorified. And while I'm at it, it seems pretty accurate to the actual events. This is a movie about a sports agent named JB Bernstein. He's in a pretty dire situation and needs to make a huge splash or else business-wise he is in a lot of trouble. Using Yao Ming's situation as inspiration, he decides to go on a quest to get the first Major League Baseball player from India. Just like all of China followed Yao Ming's journey in the NBA (he made the all-star team even when he didn't play most of the season because of fan voting in China), an MLB player from India would be equally as huge with how many people live there. With this idea in mind, Bernstein sets up the competition called the Million Dollar Arm, which is essentially a try-out where the top two throwers would get to come to America with the opportunity of trying out for an MLB team.

Is this a predictable sports movie? Of course. The events of this movie took place just a few years back and a quick wikipedia search can tell you all about these two players. But the point here isn't to throw a curveball at audiences. The main focus isn't even on telling the world about an extraordinary event that happened less than a decade ago. It's all about relationships. Bernstein is a single man that is all business at first. What he seems to have missed is that he's brought two human beings halfway across the world just to make a successful business move. These two Indian boys are still teenagers that have never been away from home, at least not so far away from home. They are scared, nervous, alone, and don't even know the language at first. This is an emotional roller-coaster for everyone involved and watching it unfold is touching and beautiful.

What makes this movie work is the performances from all the actors. It's a grand slam performance. Starting from the top, Jon Hamm plays JB Bernstein and if this movie came out in the fall, I'd say he'd be a good contender for Best Actor at the Oscars. It'd be a deserving nomination. Lake Bell plays the neighbor/love interest for JB. She does a fantastic job as the mediator between JB and the boys, helping JB come down to earth to treat the boys right. Finally, our two Indian players, Rinku and Dinesh are played by Indian actors Suraj Sharma and Madhur Mittal. These two are the stars of the show. From the very beginning, you become emotionally invested in them and their journey. You want them succeed. You cheer for them when they perform well. You are devastated when they slip up. You scream inside at Jon Hamm when he treats them poorly. You fall in love with Lake Bell when she takes them in. Sharma and Mittal are fairly new in the acted business; however, they are not unrecognizable. Sharma plays the lead role of Pi Patel in Life of Pi and Mittal shows up in Slumdog Millionaire. There's also other great performances in this movie from the likes of Aasif Mandvi, Alan Arkin, Bill Paxton and Tzi Ma, but this will suffice.

Overall, Million Dollar Arm is a movie that is a must see in my opinion. Yes, there are a ton of huge summer blockbusters in the next month or two that will all fight for your attention, but don't let this movie slip past you. If for some reason you find yourself tired of all the huge blockbusters, then this is definitely a movie that you should check out, because it will be a breath of fresh air. Even if you are not a sports fan, I think this is a movie that you will love, because like I said, it's all about the relationships in the movie as opposed to the historical sporting event that is portrayed. If this movie were to come out at the end of the year, I would think it would be the type of movie that contends for an Oscar nomination or two. It's that good. It will certainly join the ranks of all the great sports movies. My grade for Million Dollar Arm is a 9/10.

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I liked it about the Indian visualization but I feel they have put down the culture of India.They have made many scenes which shows them superior.India is a developing country and I believe It will come to the top of the Nations in the very near Future.OK,In my personal opinion the movie has bits of good direction by Craig Gillespie and a clean script by Tom McCarthy.Performances by the lead actors especially Jon Hamm is appreciable.Suraj Sharma and Madhur Mittal has done well.Special Mention of Pitobash Tripathy for creating bits of Humour and some feel good moments.Lake Bell,even If she does not have much to do,does it pretty well.Happy and proud hear A R Rahman's songs in an English Movie especially the End credits has a Tamil Song.Cinematography has been handled well.I love the Taj Mahal.Over All It's a Feel Good One Time watch movie....