The Longest Yard

[Reality]

Some great moments.

Overall pretty good.

Worth seeing.

Could have been a superb tearjerker/action/comedy classic.  I'm not kidding.  Some very well done parts and superb casting and camera work.  But too many juvinile moments and shoddy scenes slipped in.  I know you'll say duh its an Adam Sandler movie.  But i mean they had a very serious prison guard abuse/inmate reaction thing going.  Chris Rock is funny when he is himself.  When he overdoes the gutter talk it just doesnt fit.  All in all Rock is an excellent cast.  

While the casting was all in all awesome, excellent...

Bill RomanCowardski ex Raider being allowed to play the role of an abusive cheapshot prison guard i just don't find funny at all.  Any Raiders out there know what the potential of the guy he ended the career of was?  I know he had started (or played in) 13 games as a rookie the Super Bowl year.  So he must have had some potential.  $450K court buyout by Romanowski seems like a farce given the injured player is done, period.  The $450 has to cover everything, medical, attys cut etc unless there was some under the table payout to save Roman face.

 

[jn]

After reading the Sports Guy's column on the Longest Yard remake I can't even THINK about wanting to see it.

P.S. Watched Hitchhiker's Guide and The Aviator last weekend.  Both good in their own way.  Reality I think it was you who mentioned the weak scene in Hitchhiker's Guide where they have to rescue Trillian.  That was easily the weak point.  They'd already given you the joke about the Vogons being very officious bureaucrats, gotten a laugh, then with the rescue scene pounded that joke into the ground.  What a shame that they ignored so many other great bits in the books.  Just unbelievable that they would add that part rather than, say, include the Restaurant at the End of the Universe.  Overall I was happy with it though.

Aviator was solid.  Not Scorcese's best work by a long shot, but still interesting.  The second half is more interesting.  I think it was a great choice to limit the films time frame to the era before Hughe's went completely nuts.  

 

[Reality]

In Longest Yard remake he is right on about the entirely inappropriate lowbrow cracks ruining many parts.  Seems to be a crutch that Sandler cannot do without.  
Ie Rob Sneider doing a couple of his ultra stoopid cameos.

However on the Burt Renolds playing the older jailbird part, Sports Guy needs to seriously lighten up.  It was fine.  It didn't distract at all.

Also many of the football scenes were done very well in the remake.  I think he is too enamored with the original.  As to the final Hollywood sports movie cliche of having the final play be the dramatic game winner, i remember Burts one yard plunge as being pretty phony also.  It has been awhile.

Don't tell me the original Yard had cross dressing cheerleaders also?  I thought this was a Sandler gag.

Hitchhikers I know nothing.  Have not seen yet.  I am told you need to be a Hiker to really get it.  Or enjoy and get British humor is a requirement.