Reeling reviews Disney's Million Dollar Arm

Sports agent JB Bernstein's (Jon Hamm) business is hanging on signing Popo (Rey Maualuga) with a new low cost strategy cooked up with partner Aash (Aasif Mandvi, "The Internship").  It all looks good until Popo demands a million dollar signing bonus.  Dejectedly watching television, JB comes across the sport Aash loves but he doesn't understand - cricket - and gets an idea - why not develop an unknown Indian cricket bowler into a pitcher.  With coach consultant Tom House (Bill Paxton, HBO's 'Big Love,' "2 Guns") dubious, but funding from investor Mr. Chang (Tzi Ma, "The Quiet American"), JB travels to Mumbai to kick off a nationwide contest to find the "Million Dollar Arm."

Talk about high concept - a desperate sports agent who doesn't value the woman right under his nose (um, "Jerry Maguire") crossed with an Indian kid hoping to win a million dollars (duh) topped off with a double dose of classic fish-out-of-water subplots.  This based on a true story script by Thomas McCarthy ("The Station Agent," "Win Win") delivers the crowd pleasing moments, but after solid Disney sports flicks like "The Rookie" and "The Miracle," this one feels formulaic and director Craig Gillespie (2011's "Fright Night") lets a couple of jolting technical hiccups slide by that immediately demote this one to the minor leagues.

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