"The Bad News Bears" is effectively directed by Ritchie, with his usual quick satiric swipes at American manners and mores, and John C. Alonzo's cinematography is fine.

The Bad News Bears is a high because it gives us the pleasure of rooting for the Bears without having our intelligence insulted.

Unfortunately, the film starts out with a lot of promise, but fails ultimately for lack of a suitable screenplay or enough redeeming benefits to cover up for the lack.

Under the direction of Michael Ritchie both the tension and the comedy come through.