The Longest Yard (2005)

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Blistering performances.

The Longest Yard1 And A Half Out Of 5The Longest Yard is a misguided plot driven feature whose fatal attempts to install humor forcibly gives it away within few minutes. As one does assume, the tone is similar as any other Sandler feature does and so does the humor and characters offered in here. It is short on technical aspects like sound department, background score, editing, costume and production design. The writing is weak and relies a lot upon the adaptation (except for humor) and offers a very little fresh perspective to feed upon. The updated screenplay might be funnier in its own terms but isn't something that holds the viewers and the primary reason would be its sometimes cheap humor and ludicrous attempts to draw in the laughs fails on whole life. Peter Segal; the director, requires some more work on the execution skills for it is uneven and loosely scattered around varied sequences. The performance by Adam Sandler is decent as he draws out most of the laughs but his supporting cast like Chris Rock and Burt Reynolds didn't seem in their A game. The Longest Yard is actually longer than it accounts for, as the blurred out vision of the destination never clears up for the makers.

I have no connection to the original The Longest Yard, the classic Burt Reynolds sports flick, so my review of Adam Sandler's remake comes without the full context. That being said, I find the 2005 film one of Sandler's best. A hearty mixture of prison comedy, football drama, and vice-versa, The Longest Yard is nothing if not entertaining, especially for fans of the gridiron.Adam Sandler stars as Paul Crewe, a former football star who is sent to jail for drunk driving. Once there, the corrupt Warden Hazen (James Cromwell) organizes a football game where the sadistic prison guards can take out their frustrations on the inmates. Crewe gathers an eclectic team to take on the guards, and this is where kickoff starts, so to speak. The Longest Yard boasts an all-star cast, but not in the traditional sense. Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, and Burt Reynolds are the headliners here, but the real genius of the casting in The Longest Yard is in its supporting characters. The use of other kinds of stars, namely actual athletes who play the inmates and guards is no less than inspired. A rapper, Nelly, professional wrestlers Bill Goldberg, Bob Sapp, Dalip Singh (The Great Khali), and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, and NFL stars Michael Irvin, Terry Crews, and Brian Bosworth, are the heart of The Longest Yard. The athletes' here have screen presence to spare, and the movie oozes with goofy machismo. Each of the supporting players, including other comedians like Nicholas Turturro and Tracy Morgan, are cleverly drawn comedic characters. Each player has his place in the story. Both teams are made of people you can remember, and root for (or against) by the time the big game rolls around.As funny as The Longest Yard is, and it is at times up-roaringly hilarious, the movie works on more than just one level. Unlike another Adam Sandler football comedy, The Waterboy, The Longest Yard has some truly sensational football sequences, as well as a dash of genuine drama in a couple later scenes. On the topic of the "Big Game" that the movie builds to, I really can't think of a time I have been more amused by such a well-worn cliché. These football scenes are a joy to watch, if only because the inmates vs prison guards framing device allows the filmmakers to go above and beyond what you'd see on a regular Sunday. The players hit each other absurdly hard, but there is still a layer of authenticity to the scenes, thanks to the professional athletes in front of the camera.I'm not one to turn my nose up at Adam Sandler or his popular comedies, but The Longest Yard is more wildly and consistently entertaining than just about anything he has ever done. From the start, there is a macho zest coursing through this movie's veins. It's a guys flick if ever there was one. For dudes who can handle some good-natured racial ribbing, and tackles that make your head rattle just watching them, The Longest Yard is as cathartic as a touchdown and as satisfying as a cheeseburger.75/100

It's not funny, just silly. The humor's corny overall. I can picture a little kid having written this one. Adam's made funnier. It's not the acting, it's the dialogue and directing. Out of four stars, I'd give it one, for it's definitely sub-par. The original's better. The only good part is Here Comes the Boom. And I understand the ending's trying to make an @$$ of the warden but come on, it's obvious that even William Fitchner's character sure thought Adam Sandler was going for the gate to escape. ...And then he shoves the rifle at the warden upon the false alarm like he's such an idiot. The stupidest thing, though, is Adam deciding to stay in prison from a fellow inmate's insight. You don't throw your life away to metaphorically pop someone. You POPPED him, it's not like you negatively altered his LIFE. And how has it been worth "every dam minute" of staying in prison when it's obvious he'll never change and isn't exactly crying about it every day? Your punch to his face he's clearly shaken off and forgotten about as easily as an itch that he simply scratched away.

The Longest Yard isn't your typical Adam Sandler movie. Yes, it's got the typical crude humor but it takes a new twist into a blend of comedy and sports. The result, an odd mix of amusing nonsense with inspirational game play and beating the odds. With an incredible soundtrack, script, and acting you will find yourself laughing at every witty joke and just plain ridiculousness of each character. Adam Sandler as Crewe, a former NFL quarter back accused of throwing a game, decided to steal his girlfriend's car and take it on a beer-driven joy ride, landing himself in a Texas Federal Prison. Being unanimously hated by everyone, Crewe is recruited by the Warden (James Cromwell) to help their guards football team. With threats from the guards if he declines, Crewe suggests an exhibition game against the inmates. Scarborough (Burt Reynolds) and Caretaker (Chris Rock) take over the team of convicts with Crewe as the quarter back which makes for some hilarious recruitment tactics. Overcoming the fact that they have a nice line up of gangs and ruthless inmates as their team, they do what they can to prepare for the big game against the guards. After all, they are inmates! Sabotaging the guards by switching steroids with estrogen is just one way this movie brings in the childish humor we all love. Despite the hilarious circumstances they find themselves in, the game is one for the record books. Any sport fan will love it, watching it as they would watch their favorite team on a Sunday afternoon.Throughout the movie we are presented with a diverse cast of characters. We have the stereotypical guards with big hats, the over exaggerated tough guys, and even the not-so-sexy cheerleaders. Bringing all these characters together makes for some gut-busting interactions. Cheeseburger Eddy (Terry Crews) is an inmate with the McDonalds hookup. He's got "the fries that will cross your eyes." His one-liners will leave you laughing and shaking your head because they are so bad it's just funny. Adam Sandler does an incredible job of portraying the sarcastic and arrogant Crewe who never gives up. He really connects and embraces his role and it helps that he has a history of staring in comedies. With Crewe constantly getting pummeled by the guards, it gives us a sort of sympathetic response which leaves us cheering for the convicts the whole game. While doing the unthinkable, he brings together the worst of the worst convicts by sharing a similar hatred – the guards. Throughout the movie Sandler is constantly delivering sarcastic comments one after another. Overall, the Longest Yard either had amazing writers or Sandler is one clever actor. He delivers each line exactly how it should be and plays off of all the other characters creating great on screen chemistry. The creators of Longest Yard also do an incredible job of music choices. Choosing songs that are all from the hip-hop and rap genre which perfectly accompany a prison environment and giving a 'pump-up' or 'pregame' vibe. This gives scenes such as when the team walks out of the locker room a dramatic entrance and gives the movie an overall essence of toughness. All though Longest Yard isn't a very deep film, it is a great movie for those looking for a humorous plot with a suspenseful and unexpected turn of events. It brings a fresh blend of comedy and sports into one which will leave you laughing and satisfied.