WISE Score
Avg. Tomatometer
Billy Bob Thornton brings his 'Bad Santa' energy to the dugout in a crude, mid-2000s remake that trades heart for heat.
5.848%
65
If you're looking for a heartwarming Disney sports flick, keep moving. This is a cynical, beer-soaked comedy that happens to take place on a baseball diamond. It's essentially Bad Santa Lite, and while it has a few genuine laughs, it lacks the soul of the 1976 original.
For a modern family in 2026, it feels a bit like a relic of the 'edgy' mid-2000s. It’s not a must-watch, but if your middle-schooler is tired of overly sanitized sports movies, the Bears' foul-mouthed antics might actually land.
Best for kids 12 and up. The crude humor and constant drinking make it a tough sell for younger kids, even if they love baseball.
It hits the standard underdog sports beats, but the 'wholesome' factor is intentionally undercut by a coach who drinks on the job and kids who swear like sailors.
It's a beat-for-beat remake of the 1976 original. While the misfit characters are colorful, there's zero creative ground broken here.
Safe from a 'scary' perspective, but parents should expect a constant stream of PG-13 profanity, crude jokes, and normalized heavy drinking.
The final message—that winning isn't the only thing that matters—is solid, but you have to wade through a lot of cynicism to get there.
When Richard Linklater—the guy behind School of Rock—signed on to remake the 1976 classic, people expected a certain level of charm. What we got was Billy Bob Thornton doing a slightly more sober version of his Willie T. Soke character. It’s gritty, it’s dirty, and it’s deeply uninterested in being 'inspirational.'
The problem with this version of Bad News Bears is that it sits in an awkward middle ground. It's too crude for the Sandlot crowd but too formulaic for adults who want a real comedy. In 2026, the 'shock value' of kids saying the F-word has largely worn off, leaving behind a movie that feels a little thin.
That said, Linklater is a master of directing kids. The chemistry between the players feels authentic. They aren't movie-star kids; they’re awkward, sweaty, and frustrated. If you can get past the drinking-and-driving 'jokes,' there is a decent story here about kids finding their own worth outside of a trophy.
Compare this to the original, and the 2005 version loses every time. But as a standalone Saturday afternoon watch for a kid who thinks they're too cool for Pixar, it's a passable choice. Just be prepared for the 'don't do what Buttermaker does' talk afterward.
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