So much of what constitutes late night television these days seems meant to simulate the kind of activities one might get up to in the comfort of one’s private spaces, like a living room or a car or a backyard. Lip-syncing/karaoke, made-up games, and more that are entertaining on television because they play on the well-worn theme — Stars: They’re just like us! Well, in this case, one of them is. The other is still Joe Montana.
James Corden decided to recreate Montana’s iconic moment, The Catch, with himself in place of Dwight Clark, for The Late Late Show. It’s something countless of normal folks have done in their own backyards, which is why it’s perfect for a late-night host to do it with a celebrity. The problem is that Dwight Clark is 6’4, which was towering by 1982 NFL standards, and Corden is 5’8, towering by nobody’s standards. This problem comes to bear when Montana, clearly used to bigger targets, overthrows Corden over and over. What the hell, Montana?
Corden plays the role of the incompetent jerk who blames others for his own problems quite well, but the 14-year-old players he recruits to pretend to defend him aren’t really going to take his side against Joe Montana (who does get a couple of good burns in). Maybe that’s why Corden flipped them off (kinda) once the shoot was over.