I have always been a fan of sports movies. Well, who doesn't love an underdog who rises up to the occasion and wins everyone's heart. This story is no different and showcases how hard work can do wonders and make you achieve things you never thought of. It all starts when Kim Sang-Nam, a legendary pitcher from a big team gets into a drunken brawl once again and is on the verge of suspension and a ban altogether at worst. He is coaxed by his childhood best friend and his manager, Charles, into coaching a hearing impaired team who loves baseball but doesn't have proper guidance as means to improve his public image. We are also introduced to Seon Yu, a feisty teacher at the school, who is passionate about teaching the disabled kids a skill that would make them feel more accepted by the world. What ensues is a battle of wits between our protagonist, who finds the coaching job ridiculous, and Yu. The story is nothing you haven't heard before. We see a troubled pro athlete struggling and being handed over a bunch of odd balls to train. The film progresses beautifully and succeeds in evoking different emotions effortlessly. While you giggle during the first listening to the banter between Sang-Nam and Yu, the director makes sure that you find a lump in your throat during the second half when you see Sang-Nam bonding with the kids and reminiscing about his old college days when he actually loved baseball for what it is. The story though not new, works perfectly and teaches a really important lesson in perseverance. Unlike many other films we don't see our team winning right from the start. What we witness is the actual formation a team. We see how kids who can't speak or hear properly communicate with their heart in the field to overcome their impairment. We see a player who has forgotten why he started playing baseball finding his roots again in the form of coaching. The acting is mostly very good and every actor plays his part believably. Yes, I did find a few motivational speeches a bit over the top but it still worked and merged into the plot effortlessly. If you are a sucker for motivational sports flicks, I would definitely recommend this.
