I know there are some film fans out there who
don’t like Adam Sandler, but I bet they’d be hard pressed to
deny that the actor has a charming affability. He’s kind of like your
little brother, the one who always manages to get himself out of a jam
because he can make you laugh and you know that, at heart, he’s a
good guy. Sure, he’ll never play Hamlet, but, given the right
vehicle, there’s no one better.
Sandler’s latest film, a remake of the Burt
Reynolds classic The Longest Yard, is such a movie, a popcorn exercise in which the
actor’s goofy comic sensibilities are laid over the hard-edged
premise of the 1974 original. As you might expect, this film sports a much
lighter tone than Reynolds’ version, but it ends up being just as
enjoyable.
Sandler plays Paul Crewe, a washed-up ex-football
player who ends up in a penal hellhole after causing all sorts of mayhem
while joyriding in his girlfriend’s car. Warden Hazen (James
Cromwell) pulls strings to have Crewe incarcerated in his penitentiary so
that he may coach Hazen’s prison football team, which consists of the
institution’s guards, and bring home the championship in the semipro
league the team plays in. Initially Crewe refuses, but when Hazen puts the
screws to him, he reluctantly reconsiders and suggests that the best way
for the players to prepare is to have a practice game to get their
confidence up. Hazen loves the idea and suggests that Crewe assemble a
team, comprising inmates, to take on his squad of guards.
>The film proceeds predictably — yes, the
prisoners form a team; yes, they’re all a bunch of misfits —
but it’s not without its pleasures. Many of the gags are inspired,
and the final game is exciting. However, the one element that makes the
film a winner in the end is the combined effort of director Peter
Segal’s cast. As Sandler’s right-hand man, Chris Rock
effectively cracks wise throughout, and Reynolds shows up as a longtime con
with football savvy. Equally impressive is Cromwell, who oozes a sense of
cool menace as well as anyone. Rapper Nelly, as a prisoner with lightning
speed that makes him the convicts’ secret weapon, proves that he can
hold his own with these screen vets. In the end, The Longest Yard benefits from this
team effort and is a successful, if ultimately disposable, piece of
entertainment.
Also in theaters this week. . .
Crash [R] A car accident brings
together a diverse group of strangers in Los Angeles, forcing them to
confront racism. Parkway Pointe
Kicking & Screaming [PG] Soccer coach Phil Weston (Will Ferrell) faces his father Buck’s
(Robert Duvall) team. Buck’s ace player is a son from a new marriage. Parkway Pointe, ShowPlace East, Route 66 Drive
In
Madagascar [PG] Animated
comedy about a lion (voice of Ben Stiller), a zebra (Chris Rock), a giraffe
(David Schwimmer), and a hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith). When one goes missing
from the zoo, the other three break free, and learn what it’s like to
live in the wild. Parkway Pointe, ShowPlace
East
This article appears in May 26 – Jun 1, 2005.
