A very entertaining movie!

Rating: 9/10 (1 June 2005)

I think that the critics were much too harsh in their assessment of this movie. Of course, it's not possible to do a re-make EXACTLY like the original. That would be boring, but this one had enough similarities and differences to make it enjoyable. It had its own personality, and I enjoyed it. The cameo appearances by Burt Reynolds and Ed Lauter were welcomed, and this movie made me appreciate how much I dislike Brian Bosworth as a football player, as an actor, and as a person. The Kansas Cty Star gave it only 1-1/2 stars out of 4. I would rate it three and a half of a possible 4 stars...no doubt about it. The only suggestion that I would make would be to go into more detail about how the inmates were to inflict physical pain upon the guards. It's also a shame that Eddie Albert couldn't make a cameo appearance, but he passed away last week at age 99.