Ladybugs

Ladybugs is a movie you could go past, without realizing how funny it really is. A small cinema release in December of 92, it had. When it came around to watching it, in late 95, I'm glad I zoomed in on it. As always in Rodney's Dangerfield's movies, like Robin Williams adds his own lines, he adds his own jokes, and they go off like firecrackers. I don't think there's anything I haven't found funny from Dangerfield. Here in one of his funniest comedies, a lighthearted one, compared to the normal ones he did, and that wasn't many, he coaches a hopeless soccer team of young girls, one of them happening to his beautiful boss's daughter, Kimberly. And if Chester (Dangerfield) produces a winning team he'll be put in for a promotion, so it's a bit of a..kissing. Rodney says a great one liner about balls that cracked me up. I never realized how funny this movie would be. Chester who's met a new woman, and vying for the acceptance of her son (this happens to all stepdads and mothers) he really needs this promotion. He cons the son (late heart throb Jonathan Brandis) a skilled soccer player into coaching this pathetic girls soccer team. Only one catch, the son must dress like a girl. At first, averse to the idea, he's soon in a dress and wig, and Martha is born. Another complication, Martha falls for Kimberly. Certain predicaments provide laughs, like when all the girls are invited back to Kimberly's place as they are skinny dipping, or when Martha's changing into a dress, in certain places, like female washrooms or dressing stalls, or even throttling a punching ball in front of stunned onlookers. Or when Kimberly shows up unannounced at Martha's, where Brandis is forever changing, as Rodney and his much better half return home. Even Rodney, who makes one hell of an ugly woman, has to pose as a female to get Martha out of Kimberly's house. Jackee' (Rodney's work colleague) is a hoot too, providing the laughs with after remarks aimed at Rodney. Nancy Parsons, the crazed coach of the other girl soccer team who are miles and miles better, very much resembles characteristics of her Ball breaker character from her Porky's days. Rodney sends a string of jokes her way that his boss finds equally amusing. Also the intercut scenes, with Brandis in a ice cream shop and Dangerfield in a bar telling the owners their problems, where their words are misinterpreted, Dangerfield's getting him kicked out with the funniest misunderstood line I've ever heard in my life. Ladybugs is a comedy treat for the whole family. I suggest zipping down to the DVD shop and hiring it, if you can find it. If your lucky to see a copy of it in the ex rental video section, buy it. Please! You won't be disappointed. Ladybugs, a whole movie of laughs, is runner up to Dangerfield's supreme hit, Back to School.

Chester Lee (Rodney Dangerfield) is a successful salesman at Mullen Industries who's looking to get a promotion so he and his girlfriend Bess (Ilene Graff) can finally get married. Chester attempts to get on his boss Dave Mullen's good side when asking for a raise by praising the collection of trophies Mullen has acquired from the girls soccer team the Ladybugs which Mullen sponsors. When Chester lies about having once played soccer himself he finds himself offered the position of team coach which he thinks he could use to parlay his promotion but soon finds that the team mostly consists of uncoordinated misfits who have not played soccer before. With few options, Chester seeks help from his girlfriend's son Matthew (Johnathan Brandis) who's adept at soccer with Matthew reluctantly adopting the alias of Martha to give their team some help.

Ladybugs is a 1992 sports comedy starring notable comedian Rodney Dangerfield. The film came about from producers Andre Morgan and Albert S. Ruddy who sought to make an update on the formula established by The Bad News Bears falling in line with audience tastes of the 90s that had been shaped by the success of films such as Uncle Buck and Home Alone. Dangerfield hadn't headlined a film (at least live-action) since 1986's Back to School allegedly due to Dangerfield's prima donna behavior with a notable instance being his high profile rejection of Caddyshack II for Warner Bros. Despite his initial desire for it being the reason for its existence. Due to the nature of Dangerfield's comedic persona Paramount struggled with how exactly to market the film as while it was a broad comedy with prominent child characters, it still carried much of the raunchy material that Dangerfield was known for hence why the film was awarded a PG-13 rating. Made for $20 million, Ladybugs proved a financial failure opening in only fifth place and earning only $15 million before disappearing from theaters. Critics also panned the film and Ladybugs would mark the final mainstream vehicle for Dangerfield (aside from some direct-to-video films and supporting work in films such as Natural Born Killers and Little Nicky). Ladybugs is a strange movie not so much for what it is, but rather it's a strange mixture of Dangerfield's persona and a 90s formula family comedy that feels at odds with each other.

While critics did pan the film, some did admit to a degree that Dangerfield was able to be funny in the film and I'm inclined to agree. While Dangerfield is seldom that far from playing himself, nobody delivers one-liners as effectively and efficiently as he does as seen from the opening exchange between him and a truck driver that gave me a good laugh. The gone too soon Johanthan Brandis also gives a good performance as Matthew/Martha and he shows not only solid screen presence but also capable comic timing as a co-lead in the film. I also rather liked Jackée Harry's performance as Chester's assistant Julie who has great comedic back and forth with Dangerfield. Ladybugs seems like it has all the ingredients for a good comedy, but at the same time it also has a really uneasy mixture of edgy material mixed in with more conventional kids movie material. Curtis Burch is credited with screenwriting duties for Ladybugs and his most prominent credit outside of this one is the 1983 arcade sex comedy Joysticks and some jokes/sequences often feel like they're playing to that level including several jokes where characters mistake out of context dialogue for unseemly situations involving children. Because of this very uneasy mixture of family comedy setup paired with material that feels leftover from edgier examples of 1980s comedies, the movie has funny individual moments that are often balanced out by ones that are more cringey and uncomfortable.

Ladybugs is a movie that came out the wrong way at the right time because it's something of a timecapsule in how 80s comedy stalwarts struggled to adapt to the 90s (SNL alums such as Eddie Murphy, Dan Akyroyd, and Chevy Chase included). While the film is sporadically funny, it also feels like there's a misguided notion in transitioning Dangerfield into a role where he doesn't quite fit with material that seems confused about who it's exactly catering to.

Ladybugs is a bit of a change of pace for Rodney Dangerfield in this fairly wholesome family friendly film. However, in these times if the same movie was made today, it might get an R, or would be considered too controversial to be released. Ladybugs is a very warm, lighthearted, but at the same time has a lot of innuendo and raunchy humor that one would expect from a Rodney Dangerfield movie. Rodney Dangerfield plays a hard working family oriented man that has to coach a girls soccer team to appease his boss and get a promotion. There still are the one liners that are the price of admission for a Dangerfield movie, but the story flows well and the characters are well drawn out and easily likeable. This is in a lot of ways similar in quality to Meet Wally Sparks, but a bit more wholesome and in my opinion a better movie. Having said that, Ladybugs is still really funny and holds up pretty well.

Well, I've either died and gone to heaven, or just died. I can't really tell at this point. "Ladybugs" is an odd film. How could I have sat down and watched this film on three non-consecutive occasions? I guess the allure of Rodney Dangerfield is like a horrible, twisted automobile accident. No matter how much you want to move along, you just can't turn away.

Jackée Harry's voice alone would make any man flee the area, and never return. Tommy Lasroda appears near the midpoint of the film to remind us that he should never be cast in feature films EVER AGAIN. Then factor in Jonathan Brandis...as a girl! No, not just Jonathan Brandis. HE'S ALSO DRESSED LIKE A GIRL. Go now. While you can. Run for your life.

Once you watch a bit, you'll be hooked. I'm warning you.

Dangerfield is no threat. If you've seen this film, or "Easy Money" or "Back To School" or anything else he's been in, you know his role. "A wise-cracking (blank)". Here, the blank is filled with "soccer coach". If you're seeing it for the sole purpose of "The Rod", go see "Meet Wally Sparks". A much better effort.

Sometime in the near future, a professor from a large university in Norway will release a thesis paper drawing parallels between "Ladybugs" and it's Hollywood soccer film equal, "The Big Green". The paper will go on to comment that Hollywood cannot make a decent "Big Budget Soccer Picture", and films of the sort should be left to the much more soccer-movie-inclined Icelandic film producers. Just a prediction.

Please take heed. This movie is like a cult. You watch it once, and it will never let go. You'll have to call in sick to work, and cut out your social life because of this film. "Ladybugs" will attach itself to you an never let go...until your eventual demise. Then it will move on to it's next unsuspecting victim that says, "Hmm...Rodney Dangerfield, Jackée Harry, AND Jonathan Brandis...sounds good..."

Before Will Ferrell started in a comedy about a kids soccer team there was a movie called Ladybugs. You have Rodney Dangerfield who plays Chester Lee. While trying to get a promotion Chester Lee agrees to coach the company's all girl soccer team. The only problem is he doesn't know anything about soccer. He ends up dressing up his fiancé's son who actually knows stuff about soccer to help the team.

You probably have seen some of other Rodney Dangerfield's movies like Back to School, Easy Money or Caddyshack. This movie is filled with all the great one liners and jokes that make Rodney Dangerfield so great. There are parts of this movie that are totally random but still funny. It seems like Rodney Dangerfield was trying to make a movie that would appeal to kids and be family friendly. Don't let the 4.7 rating fool you. This a funny movie with Rodney Dangerfield in it about soccer.