The Longest Yard (2005)

In 1994, Peter Segal made his feature film directorial debut with NAKED GUN 33 1/3: THE FINAL INSULT, the hilarious concluding chapter of the NAKED GUN series. His follow-up was the even funnier TOMMY BOY in 1995, one of the best comedies of the 1990s. His next film, MY FELLOW Americans, was pretty funny but failed to generate the same number of laughs as his two previous films. Still, it seemed like Segal was destined to become one of the next great comedy directors. That is until 2000's NUTTY PROFESSOR II: THE KLUMPS, a lame rehash of the 1996 remake. Since then, he's continued to direct pretty mediocre comedies like ANGER MANAGEMENT and 50 FIRST DATES so I had low expectations when I heard he was to direct the THE LONGEST YARD. Luckily, THE LONGEST YARD, his latest movie, is his best film since TOMMY BOY thanks to Segal's great comedic direction. In addition to handling the comedy well, he also does a fantastic job with the football scenes. In fact, I think it is safe to say that because of Segal's direction, THE LONGEST YARD is the best football film of the 2000s so far.

Anybody that knows me knows that if there is one type of movie I hate, it's remakes. There is no reason for them, making them pointless. However, for whatever reason, I actually enjoyed this one. From the great opening shot of a beautiful girl swimming in a pool to the very last shot of Warden Hazen (James Cromwell) getting Gatorade poured all over him, I found myself having a ball. It's just an all around fun film. Everyone does a great job with their roles (especially Sandler and Rock) and for an almost two hour movie, THE LONGEST YARD is fast-paced.

Still, THE LONGEST YARD has its fair share of problems. The rap sound track doesn't seem to fit the picture very well, some of the jokes fall pretty flat(i.e. most of the gay jokes), and there's not nearly as much character development as there was in the original. Despite these flaws, THE LONGEST YARD remains one of the highlights of 2005. Recommended.

Fmovies: Revenge is the one thing on the mind that every prisoner wants to impose on the guards. This idea of revenge is exactly what Paul Crewe (Adam Sandler) does to help motivate other inmates to organize a football team in an inmates vs. guards football game.

The movie opens up with Crewe being chased by cops after he stole a Bentley. The car chase ends with Crewe getting arrested and bragging to his girlfriend by jumping up and down in front of the media helicopters that were covering the chase. Immediately we get to see the personality of Paul Crewe as a cocky spotlight loving person. Crewe is a former NFL player who is the only player to be banned from the league for point shaving. When he enters the jail, he is hated by everybody because he caused so many people to lose bets from the point shaving incident.

An NFL player, or any celebrity usually has special treatment in prison. Crewe's opportunity arises when the prison Warden, Hazen, (James Cromwell) offers Crewe a chance for a nice cell and good words in parole hearings. The offer was to organize the inmates to play the guards in a football team. The point was for the inmates to have such a horrible team, that the guards would win easily and have high enough spirit to be able to compete in their organized league. After vowing to never be involved with football again, Crewe declines the offer. The guards beat up on him, and he is unable to socialize with any inmates. After not wanting to take anymore beatings from the guards, Crewe accepts Hazen's offer.

The first friend that Crewe makes is Caretaker (Chris Rock). Caretaker had already spent a long time in prison and knew most of the inmates. Caretaker helps Crewe with tryouts for the team, but there was no talent. As are most prisons, the Old Main prison is racially separated. Crewe wanted some of the black players on the team, but they wanted nothing to do with football. Megget (Nelly) had a respect for Crewe, and was the first player to join the team. He was an extremely fast runner, but there were not enough players to make a decent team.

Enter Nate Scarborough, (Burt Reynolds) a Heisman Trophy winner, who still lived for football. He helped train the team, but the lack of talent made it so that there is no chance for the inmates to win. After several racial incidents involving guards, many other black players join the team, and the inmates become a decent team. The inmates are ready to face to guards in the battle of revenge they have been waiting for. Most of the inmates only want to play so that they can impose as much pain as possible on the guards. Crewe and Scarborough want to take the respect out of the guards by beating them. They train the teams until the Warden asks Crewe for something that he will not do again; shave points off the score so that the guards can easily defeat the inmates.

The cast of The Longest Yard has many big names. Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Burt Reynolds, James Cromwell, and Nelly are the main characters of the movie. On both teams there are many NFL players such as Michael Irwin and Bill Romanowski. One of the best roles in the movie is Chris Berman's cameo as the ESPN announcer during the big game. Berman is the benchmark for football commentating, and for such an important game, it is fitting to have such a personality as Berman.

The visual effects of the film are fantastic. The bone crushing hits are presented well in slow motion and with up close camera shots. The set of the prison gives a realistic sense of a jail as well. It is

I got to see the same sneak preview movie at the theatre last week.

With all the TV advertising and trailers at the movies I thought the film was coming out soon, but I just checked and they said it won't hit the Cineplex until May 27th!

Prediction? It will the box office winner on Memorial Day weekend. Perfect time to come out with a football picture because all the NFL fans are fed up with Arena football and thirsty for any real football.

Well, what can I say about the movie? Loved it! Very entertaining. You could get into the characters, no matter how despicable they were and you were rooting for them. Of course the story is an old one. They filmed it in 1974 with Burt Reynolds and it is about prisoners playing a football game against the guards. It's a comedy, but boy it is Violent with a capital V.

It is a real macho man movie and everyone is going to love it. Adam Sandler gets beat up or beat down a lot in the movie, they give the best lines and jokes to Chris Rock and there will be a few other Saturday Night Live people you will recognize in it. There are a lot of scenes of cheap shots and unsportsmanlike conduct. Very physical, very brutal. Some scenes will make you cringe. You will feel their pain. Not blood and guts with stabbings or shootings, but extreme football hurts and hits.

Yes it's a comedy and yes it's funny, but also ultra violent, did I mention that already? Now I know why I gave up on football in high school and focused more on Cross Country and Track & Field...because I realized I would live longer if I competed in a sport where no one is trying to injury me or knock you out of competition.

A great film? No, but people will feel they got their money's worth and yes, it will be popular on DVD with outtakes and behind the scenes footage. I can't see it getting a PG-13 rating, not with all the language and use of the "N" word by the cookie cutter, steroid popping sadistic guards.

The Longest Yard fmovies. This remake from Robert Aldrich film deals about a professional quarterback (Adam Sandler in the role of Reynolds)is sent to high-security prison for stealing his sweetheart's car(an unbilled Courtney Cox) . There, the warden chief (James Cromwell substituting to Edward Albert) forces him to put together an inmates team to play his semi-pro made up of wardens(led by William Fitchner substituting to Ed Lauter, here playing a cameo). The disgraced quarterback is caught among brutal wardens(Brian Bosworth,Steve Austin, Todd Holland) and embittered fellows prisoners( Nicholas Turturro,Lobo Sebastian, Bill Goldberg, among others) organizing a strong cons-versus -wardens match . He's helped by sympathetic inmate(Chris Rock) and veteran player con(Burt Reynolds).

This comic bone-crunching comedy is constituted by three parts, the first about introduction characters, the second part deals a football training and the third, dedicated to the game. Delightful serio-comic film about two likable crooks(Sandler, Rock), who became trainers of a motley group. This remake is as violent and humorous as the former film though no originality but rips off situations and scenes. The picture is plenty of violence, bone-crunching brutality, profanities , but also humor and amusing. Agreeable script by Tracy Keenan Wynn and production by Albert S. Ruddy , the same from Aldrich version that was remade in 2001 as ¨Mean machine¨(with Vinnie Jones Jason Statham and David Kelly) the original movie's British title. The motion picture is well directed by Peter Segal, usual director for Adam Sandler(50 first dates, Anger management) and comedies expert( Nutty professor, Naked gun: Final insult, Tommy boy) and recently filming ¨Get Smart¨. Rating: Acceptable rendition from classic movie for those who delight in football sports and crunching cruelty and with some moments very funny.

I loved this movie! I have seen the original, also, and I have to say that this version is much more fun to watch and should appeal to a wider audience. For those who thought this was going to be a more serious movie for Adam Sandler....what on earth gave you that idea?? It's a comedy. It's meant to be funny and it is. If you are not a fan of Adam Sandler's then don't bother with it, because you won't like it. If you are a fan, I believe you will enjoy it very much. If you have absolutely no sense of humor, as it seems quite a few who have written comments about this movie are lacking just that, then don't bother with it either. I know when my husband and I saw it, the whole audience was roaring with laughter throughout the movie and my husband has informed me that he cannot wait for it to come out on DVD. It was a whole lot of fun to watch and I recommend it highly.

I too got to see a free-sneak peak of this film in NYC and I'll tell you one thing . . there were no sleepers in the cinema! A very mixed crowd from race to ages here and everyone seemed to be having a great time . . even the teenager who sat behind me who reminded me of every actor when he appeared on the screen .. like Nelly. I haven't had this much fun in the theater in quite awhile. No, it's not a super serious film, but if you like football and the good feeling of revenge you'll love this film. Lots of violent blows from the guards and a little racism, but nothing too "out of the ordinary" . . some great one-liners from Chris Rock's character. A definite #1 film for Memorial Day weekend when it opens. I can see this film bringing in some good dough this summer.