Longest Yard... Touchdown!

Rating: 9/10 (23 June 2005)

I haven't laughed like that in a long while. Welcome back Adam Sandler. Sandler hasn't offered a performance of this scale and quality since Happy Gilmore. With movies like Punch Drunk Love and Eight Crazy Nights, you had to ask yourself if Sandler had lost his golden touch, though he did save himself with his dramatic roles in Spanglish and 50 First Dates. Sandler, like Jim Carrey and Robin Williams, really belongs in the comedic roles, where quick wit and obvious ad lib are not only welcomed but expected. Sandler absolutely dominates in this film.
He wasn't hurting for supporting characters either, Chris Rock's role as Caretaker is a bit unbelievable, but he delivers his lines with his well known stand-up approach to comedy. He's funny and lovable, a definite asset to the movie. Burt Reynolds, taking on the senior role this time around, as opposed to the lead in the '74 version, obviously has a lessor impact on the story, but he plays it well with his hard nosed, shy but deadly, attitude. Then there is Terry Crews as Cheeseburger Eddy... if you thought that this guy was funny in White Chicks, then you can expect more of the same hilarity in The Longest Yard. Every scene with Crews is laugh out loud.
I didn't know what to expect from this movie being that it was a remake, but I can say with sincerity that I was truly impressed with the acting and story line. With characters like Sasquatch, Mc-Asshole and Colonel Sanders, it would be difficult not to be. This movie is not to be missed!