When it comes to comedy, there are two Will Ferrells. There’s the limited but engaging actor who nicely rounds out an ensemble in a film like Melinda and Melinda, and then there’s the macho buffoon who learns a valuable lesson in films like Anchorman, Talladega Nights, Blades of Glory and now, Semi-Pro. While the lessons change from film to film, Ferrell pretty much stays the same, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

In Semi-Pro, Ferrell plays Jackie Moon, a one-hit wonder soul singer from the seventies who invests in the Flint Tropics, a lowly ABA basketball team from Michigan. Known for flamboyant promotional events, Moon is owner, coach and power forward for the team, a last place ABA contender.

Back in the seventies, the ABA was a small-scale alternative league competing for primacy with the NBA. Known for acrobatic players like Dr. J, the ABA brought innovations like the dunk and the alley-oop to the game. In time, the league folded into the NBA, with only four teams making the transition. As Semi-Pro has it, the fictional Tropics vie for one of the top four positions and a chance at legitimacy.

Andre Benjamin (aka: Andre 3000 from Outkast) plays the team’s cocky star, Clarence, better known as "Coffee Black". Woody Harrelson plays his opposite, Monix, an NBA veteran with a championship ring from his better days as a Boston Celtic. Clarence is jealous of Monix, chiding the older veteran who, though a former champion, was a benchwarmer in the playoffs. When Monix takes over coaching duties for the team and the two men reconcile, the Tropics make a mean run for fourth place in the standings.

As you’d expect, Semi-Pro doesn’t pretend to be an Oscar winner. Harrelson works well opposite Ferrell and Benjamin in the early stages of the movie, but as the film ramps up, he’s saddled with a lot of clichéd dialogue indicative of the many "inspirational coach" speeches we’ve seen in the past and a thankless romantic subplot involving Maura Tierney; a misguided attempt to appeal to women in the audience.

For Ferrell, the macho-buffoon-athlete character still works. Part of Ferrell’s success is his eagerness to put his body (and dignity) in harm’s way. His squatting on the free throw line, seen from beneath his shorty-shorts, leaves little to the imagination. It’s not something you want to experience twice, but twice you do, and you can’t help but laugh even as you grimace.

Much of Semi-Pros’s comedy, however, comes from the ensemble recipe of SNL and Comedy Central vets who round out the supporting cast, which includes Will Arnett, Tim Meadows, Andy Richter, David Koechner, Rob Corddry and Matt Walsh. Given the amount of sub-par comedies being churned out ad nauseum, Semi-Pro could have done a lot worse in the casting department.

The funniest moment in Semi-Pro involves a tension filled poker game that turns sour when an argument erupts between Will Arnett and another player. Arnett takes hold of the situation like Ray Liotta in Goodfellas, threatening the guy with a gun before confessing it isn’t even loaded. The players relax, laughingly pulling the trigger on themselves one-by-one, each other, and their crotches. The tension within the scene builds, as the audience knows that sooner or later the gun will fire. It’s a sardonic, smart piece of comedy that transcends the rest of the picture.

Although Kent Alterman makes his debut as a director, he’s no stranger to comedy. Alterman served as executive producer on such films as Elf, Balls of Fury, and Mr. Woodcock and now steps behind the camera for the first time to mainly respectable success. Although he falters at times, Alterman works well with Farrell and the ensemble, integrating the cast in a seamless and natural way. And while the writing lacks in ways already mentioned, Semi-Pro boasts a smart premise and an inspired comedic setting. The ABA was a smart choice. Though it isn’t the funniest Will Ferrell film, the laughs keep on coming right up to the final buzzer.