AVClub: When it comes to lightly comic sports movies, Ron Shelton has long been the gold standard, yet rarely does anyone attempt to emulate films like Bull Durham, Tin Cup, and Play It To The Bone. Granted, it’s a tough sensibility to pull off, as Shelton dared to walk the treacherous line between charmingly eccentric and irritatingly quirky. The new doubles tennis comedy Break Point—not to be confused with the forthcoming remake of Point Break, due at Christmas—gives it a shot, and actually does a pretty good job at keeping the jokes wry and low-key, with just a few detours into broader, Will Ferrell-ish territory. Unfortunately, the screenplay is otherwise so relentlessly formulaic that the movie never really gets a chance to cut loose. It’s the kind of amiable but predictable trifle that nobody ever seeks out, but that will mildly amuse everyone who happens to stumble onto it when it hits cable and the streaming services.
Break Point is a five-part tennis documentary series that captures the emerging journey of players like Nick Kyrgios, Matteo Berrettini, Taylor Fritz and many more.
