"The Longest Yard" was a fine film for its time and place - in the USA of 1974. This film, a remake updated to the then present, is more of a farce than a comedy-crime and sport film. The premise is pretty much the same as the original film plot. The culture changes and times are evident - and not believable even by a stretch of the imagination
The producers did have the sense to change the location, or to eliminate the ill-treatment of chain gangs forced to work in the swamps. Still there is some mis-treatment in the punching and hitting of a prisoner by prison staff. None of the changes from the original film are good, including most of the cast.
Adam Sandler has made some very good comedies, and can act well in comedy dramas. But he just isn't believable in his role in this film. Nor are many of the different characters put in this plot. A black-market guy who gets McDonal's cheeseburgers for inmates? And a convict who pulls a cheeseburger out of his pants? Then there's the cheerleading squad of convicts in drag - supposedly from their own prison cell block. William Fichtner, who plays Captain Knauer, is a good actor. But his turn of heart for the convicts over the football game is quite weak and just not convincing. Most of the rest of the cast have roles that just seem concocted to have a wide range of characters.
And, quite different from the first film - way back when, this remake has a feel or sense of "in-your-face" to law enforcement in general, and the justice system overall. "Silly" may be a better term to describe this film, but it just isn't funny or entertaining.
The producers did have the sense to change the location, or to eliminate the ill-treatment of chain gangs forced to work in the swamps. Still there is some mis-treatment in the punching and hitting of a prisoner by prison staff. None of the changes from the original film are good, including most of the cast.
Adam Sandler has made some very good comedies, and can act well in comedy dramas. But he just isn't believable in his role in this film. Nor are many of the different characters put in this plot. A black-market guy who gets McDonal's cheeseburgers for inmates? And a convict who pulls a cheeseburger out of his pants? Then there's the cheerleading squad of convicts in drag - supposedly from their own prison cell block. William Fichtner, who plays Captain Knauer, is a good actor. But his turn of heart for the convicts over the football game is quite weak and just not convincing. Most of the rest of the cast have roles that just seem concocted to have a wide range of characters.
And, quite different from the first film - way back when, this remake has a feel or sense of "in-your-face" to law enforcement in general, and the justice system overall. "Silly" may be a better term to describe this film, but it just isn't funny or entertaining.