has it really been two decades since walter matthau coached the bad news bears ? nineteen years and two mighty ducks later , the formula is still going strong . police academy graduate steve guttenberg stars as a small-town deputy sheriff corralled into co-coaching the school's hastily formed soccer team . his partner-in-crime is the new british " exchange teacher " ( olivia d'abo ) , a lively lass who has obviously seen dangerous minds and knows that the best way to gain the respect of a disinterested , outer-city audience is to teach them something neat . like soccer . most of the good-natured gags are of the fast-motion variety , such as runaway cows and out-of-control lawnmowers . kids will laugh at the occasional belching bit , while their parents peacefully doze beside them . other than letting a supporting character named newt go unscathed , what's missing from the big green is a better integration of music and comedy . instead of a peppy pop score , which would arguably work to better effect , most of the action is set to a bombastic orchestral score that belongs somewhere else . comedy needs music . just watch any old bugs bunny short . the marx brothers knew it . mel brooks knows it . <NEG> unfortunately </NEG> , the current trend is to " overscore . " lush strings and booming brass in every scene , at every moment . remember the simple strains of bizet's " habanera " in the original bad news bears ? these days , it's usually <NEG> a bellowing fanfare that threatens to smother every scene in its path </NEG> . much like adding frosting to already frosted cake .
