Angels in the Outfield

Amiable remake of the 1951 MGM fantasy of the same title about divine intervention rescuing a down-at-heel baseball team. Much bat-and-ball activity, as young Gordon-Levitt's hope for a family reunion to extricate him from the care of foster mum Fricker comes to depend on an equally unlikely upturn in fortunes for local also-rans the California Angels. Soon, Lloyd's angelic helpers are improving matters on the diamond, gruff manager Glover gets convinced the kid's some kind of mascot, and even long-suffering owner Johnson starts believing that this year his boys might go all the way. The scene is set for much digital image manipulation, think-positive platitudes and a narrative line of blinding predictability; disappointing in the circumstances, given a hard-working cast, major production values and well-staged on-field action. Fans should enjoy it; parents won't suffer too much.