Million Dollar Arm Blu-ray Review

Based on a true story, sports agent JB Bernstein (Jon Hamm) finds that business has changed and things aren’t going well for his career. In a last ditch effort to save his livelihood he concocts a scheme to find baseball’s next great pitching ace. Hoping to find a young cricket pitcher he can turn into a major league baseball star, JB travels to India to produce a reality show competition called “The Million Dollar Arm.”

The boys and J.B. check out the fieldCourtesy of Disney

With the help of cantankerous but eagle-eyed retired baseball scout Ray Poitevint (Alan Arkin), he discovers Dinesh (Madhur Mittal) and Rinku (Suraj Sharma), two young men who have no idea about playing baseball, yet have a knack for throwing a fastball. Hoping to sign them to major league contracts and make a quick buck, JB brings the boys home to America to train. While the Americans are definitely out of their element in India — the boys, who have never left their rural villages — are equally challenged when they come to the States. As the boys learn the finer points of baseball — JB, with the help of his charming friend Brenda (Lake Bell) — learns valuable life lessons about teamwork, commitment and what it means to be a family.

J.B. (Jon Hamm) and Brenda (Lake Bell) watch the boys playCourtesy of Disney

The Bottom Line

You pretty much know what to expect when it comes to family sports movies - challenge, adversity, character change, and an ending that promises some feel-good moments that can restore your faith in humanity. Million Dollar Arm delivers on all fronts, and it does so well enough that you'll automatically forgive it for being just a little bit predictable. This movie boasts a fantastic cast, in fact, you could probably put Lake Bell and Jon Hamm in a room with no script and the movie would still be good (well...that might be a stretch.) And you'll notice a couple of familiar faces in the cricket players from India who come to America to play baseball - like Suraj Sharma, from Life of Pi!

Brenda (Lake Bell) comes to a gameCourtesy of Disney

The story combines two classic American story themes: beating the odds and becoming a pro at a sport, and coming to America and trying to learn new customs and fit into a new world.No matter who you are, this one is bound to strike a chord with you - we've all be the underdog at some point. One of the highlights of the bonus material is the Making-Of featurette 'Training Camp" - just like the Indian cricket players they portray actors Suraj Sharma and Madhur Mittal had to learn to throw a baseball, which is trickier than it sounds. "Their Story" is also very touching, the real JB Bernstein, Dinesh and Rinku talk about the effect that baseball had on their lives after this story.

This is a fantastic feel-good movie that the whole family can enjoy, and if you have any budding baseball players in the house (maybe it's you even!) then it's definitely one to pick up.

The boys want to hit the town in HollywoodCourtesy of Disney

Blu-ray Bonus Material:

• Making-of Featurettes:
  • Training Camp – Actors Suraj Sharma and Madhur Mittal faced the same daunting challenge that their characters Rinku and Dinesh did—learning how to pitch a baseball.
  • Their Story – The real JB Bernstein, Rinku and Dinesh explore the legacy of the Million Dollar Arm contest and its impact on the lives and aspirations of children in India...and their own lives as well.
  • Million Dollar Music by A.R. Rahman - The Oscar-winning composer (Best Original Score, “Slumdog Millionaire,” 2008) talks about creating music that encompasses two worlds—India and the U.S.
• Alternate Ending
• Deleted Scenes:
  • “JB’s Problem”
  • “Sold”
  • “I’d Take Ten Dollars”
• Outtakes
• And more!

Dinesh Patel (Madhur Mittal) and Rinku Singh (Suraj Sharma) on the fieldCourtesy of Disney

Million Dollar Arm Blu-ray Rating:

Million Dollar Arm Blu-rayCourtesy of Disney

Million Dollar Arm is now available on Blu-ray + DVD!