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Bend It Like Beckham (2002)
The Sport : It's the World Cup Final this Sunday, and even if England aren't in it, at least we didn't have Keira Knightley playing for us during our brief go at the title. As this 2002 flick proved, Knightley kicked balls about with all the conviction of a sporting Mata Hari.
Could Be Better? Hard to dial down the football side of a film with Beckham in the title, but trying to persuade the audience that Keira Knightley was a football genius was surely misplaced. A few less close-ups of women dribbling wouldn't have hurt either.
The Legend Of Bagger Vance (2000)
The Sport : Robert Redord directed a mouthwatering cast in the shape of Matt Damon, Will Smith and Charlize Theron for this sporting epic. The sport? Golf in the 1930s...
Could Be Better? Short of suggesting a new sport, era, and plot, a little less tiresome Will Smith wisdom would be much appreciated: "Yeah... The rhythm of the game... Just like the rhythm of life..." Nope.
She's The Man (2006)
The Sport : Channing Tatum's come a long way since starring opposite Amanda Bynes in this story of a girl (somehow) pretending to be her own brother in making the boys' team.
Could Be Better? Bynes perhaps could have gone beyond lowering her voice and the occasional shoulder punch to try to appear convincing. You can only imagine what lengths Daniel Day-Lewis would go to if the roles were reversed...
Wimbledon (2004)
The Sport : Paul Bettany went all Hugh Grant in combining two paradoxical English assets: Wimbledon and winning.
Could Be Better? Conceding that CGI was the only way to provide convincing tennis action was a good start, but the decision to cast Bettany was questionable. Granted, it's supposed to be his last tournament, but there's a limit...
Leatherheads (2008)
The Sport : George Clooney directed himself in this whimsical look at the origins of America's favourite game.
Could Be Better? Apart from making American Football appear mindnumbingly dull, Clooney's other mistake was to take John Krasinski of The Office fame down with him in constructing the most unappetizing of love triangles: Clooney, Krasinski and Zellweger.
Speed Racer (2008)
The Sport : The Wachowski brothers' change of scene left behind the anarchy of the Matrix trilogy and V For Vendetta , and produced this family-friendly film based on the Japanese anime series.
Could Be Better? If this comedy highlighted anything, it was the Wachowskis' comparative talent for darker genres. Toning down the pastel colours and removing the monkey would have been a start.
Blades Of Glory (2007)
The Sport : Will Ferrell and John Heder enter the World Championships together in this bromance on ice.
Could Be Better? Depending on how much you like Will Ferrell, this was arguably the last time he appeared without being annoying. What he lacked in manourverability, though, he made up for in other areas: "Personal Philosophy? Clothing Optional..."
Escape To Victory (1981)
The Sport : Pele, Bobby Moore and Michael Caine take to the field with Sylvester Stallone in goal as an Allied Prisoner camp take on the Germans.
Could Be Better? What with Pele, Moore and Ardiles on board, as well as a host of other professionals, the action sequences actually looked pretty good. It's also hard to argue with the bulldog spirit - 4-1 down at half-time, but faced with an opportunity to escape, the choice seems simple. "But we can win this..."
Balls Of Fury (2007)
The Sport : Dan Fogler and Christopher Walken do battle in this warped look at the world of table tennis.
Could Be Better? It's hard to think of a way in which table tennis could ever become hilarious, but Christopher Walken's appearance at least provided an attempt to make up for the shortage on Fogler's end.
