You'll either Love it, or hate it

Rating: 7/10 (22 December 2000)

This is one of those movies, which you'll either love or hate. Most people who didn't like it will probably try to pick apart dumb things that didn't appeal to them. If you know football, you can easily follow this movie. The camera shots in this movie where great. Stone does a fantastic job of not shooting this film like a TV game. Instead, he primarily focuses on the individuals of the game, using close-ups and oblique angles to make the movie more realistic and intense. If you know football, not just a fan that watches the game, you'll know that this movie is realistic. From playing football myself, what goes on the field is depicted better than any other movie I have seen.
Don't worry if you're not interested in the on field performances though. The plot goes deeper than one might see from a distance. There is so many uses of symbolism that Stone uses that it is masterful. The camera work by far outweighs any of the great performances that Pacino or Diaz pulls. This is the way the game is. In someone's comments, this person mentions that they hoped real NFL players didn't behave this way. In response to this, watching this movie probably gives the viewer an insight into what pro football is really like. Although it's scary, this stuff actually happens almost weekly -- From the locker room, to the on field discussions and pile-ups. I can't think of anything that doesn't happen or that hasn't happened (including an almost cheesy part with a certain players eye- yes it has happened).
Personally I liked the movie if they would have ended it before the credits. However, this movie can't be that great. 7.8/10 Defiantly worth it for several reasons