Worthy remake but not quite up to standards of the original

Rating: Null/10 (5 August 2013)

The movie begins with multiple images of a hot girl in a bikini. This is during a party at the San Diego home of Lena, girlfriend to former star football quarterback Paul Crewe. Lena's dress appears likely to have a Janet Jackson moment. Paul and Lena get in an argument and Paul takes her fancy car, driving around town in such a way that he attracts the attention of the cops. By the time the brief but exciting chase is over, Paul has violated his probation for point-shaving, which gets him sent to a prison in the middle of the Texas desert.
Warden Hazen wants a successful prison league football team and believes Paul can make that happen. Guard Knauer threatens Paul if he does what the warden wants. After some time in the hot box, Paul goes along with the warden anyway.
Paul doesn't have much luck, even with the help of sidekick Caretaker. Success comes only when longtime inmate and former football star Nate becomes the coach, and when the inmates realize playing football means playing against (and beating up on) the guards. And even then, the team isn't that good.
But can they succeed?
I saw the original where Burt Reynolds was the star. He was better there though quite good here, and the original was the superior movie, but this one is pretty good too.
Adam Sandler is satisfactory. His best moments are when he insults a cop who resembles Armin Shimerman (though that actor is not in the credits) whose appearance invites ridicule, and during half-time in the game.
Chris Rock gives his usual performance, which like pretty much everything he does just has to include ranting about blacks being mistreated and everything being about race. That's part of his appeal, at least to me.
Cloris Leachman stands out as Lynette, the secretary to the warden. Most of her scenes are ... not exactly family viewing.
This is a men's prison, but there are "women" other than Lynette. They are the cheerleaders. The standout of that group is played by Tracy Morgan, flamboyantly gay and hilarious. Yes, they're actually men.
James Cromwell is good enough, though Eddie Albert somehow seemed so much more cruel in the original. Maybe it was because I was used to the actor being such a nice guy (and even when he was mean to Haney and the Monroes, it was nothing like this).
I think I'm correct that Bob Sapp is the big teddy bear who cries. He's really funny.
Chris Rock is reunited with his TV dad, sort of (I can't recall whether they hared any scenes). Although he didn't do much other than hand out food from McDonald's, it was interesting to see Crews as a genuine tough guy after two hours of watching him be a clueless dad on his latest series.
Steve Reevis must have been the funny sports commentator. His partner kept expecting him to say something, and yet he mostly just sat there looking dignified. If he said something, it needed to be said.
This movie definitely scores a touchdown. It's the original that goes for two and succeeds.