Cast: Bernie Mac, Paul Sorvino, Chris Noth, Michael Rispoli and Angela Bassett
Director: Charles Stone III
Studio Synopsis: Stan Ross (Bernie Mac) once loved the game of baseball, playing with passion, energy, and every ounce of his natural talent. But somewhere along the way, the fame went to his head. The self-centered star ended his career prematurely, shocking his teammates by selfishly quitting the game in the middle of a season, right after getting his 3,000th hit—the unofficial key to baseball's Hall of Fame. Now, 10 years later, three of Mr. 3000's hits have been disqualified, and the 47-year-old out-of-shape former slugger attempts a comeback—hitting the gym and facing down pitchers half his age—only to find that three hits are a lot harder to come by than they used to be!
DVD Rating: PG-13
DVD Running Time: 104 minutes
DVD Extras: Outakes; deletd scenes with optional director commentary; uncut scenes; The Making of Mr. 3000; Spring Training: The Extra's Journey; Everybody Loves Stan; and director audio commentary
Official Web site: http://mr3000.movies.go.com/
Trailer: http://mr3000.movies.go.com/

Review: Not even a base hit at the box office, Mr. 3000 nonetheless finds Bernie Mac putting on his best game face as a retired slugger trying to make a comeback. The delightfully cantankerous Mac squeezes every possible laugh out of a heel-to-hero tale that’s as predictable as George Steinbrenner’s Pennant-chasing spending sprees. You know the selfish old pro’s finally going to learn that there’s no “I” in team as he tries to get his 3,000th hit, but Mac makes Stan Ross’ quest for personal glory funnier than any Red Sox’s putdown of the Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez. The upcoming Guess Who will likely make Mac a legitimate movie star, but Mr. 3000 is a great first at-bat. And if Ross seems to bear an uncanny resemble to Barry Bonds, at least in terms of his contentious relationship with the media, that appears deliberate. “The media is a character,” says director Charles Stone III during The Making of Mr. 3000. “To athletes, you getting on SportsCenter ... is just as important as how you contribute to the team.” Hence Mr. 3000’s constant and often hilarious SportsCenter, Pardon the Interruption and Best Damn Sports Show Period updates on Ross’ every strikeout. “The Greek Chorus,” as Stone calls the media during his chatty and informative director’s commentary, also make up most of the DVD’s deleted and extended scenes. But the trimmed scenes from SportsCenter, The Tonight Show and a mock Stan Ross commercial only emphasize that more is less. Oddly, Mr. 3000’s best feature is its most contemplative. Spring Training: The Extra’s Journey respectfully details how grueling on-the-field auditions were for even minor leaguers to land minor roles hitting alongside Mac. And you thought getting called up to the Big Show was tough ...