Fun with a good cast

Rating: 6/10 (9 July 2005)

I never saw the original but I really liked this movie anyway. I usually don't like Adam Sandler comedies this much. I like Sandler but I think he chews scenery too much in most his movies. Plus they all have the "YOU CAN DO IT!!" plot. He has to go against all the odds with everyone rooting for him by the end. Sure the Longest Yard isn't that much different than his usual movies. Still it's funner and for once it's just not only about Sandler's character.
Richard Roeper totally tore the movie apart. He said that Chris Rock is in another forgettable role. He's just picking on him due to Rock's comments on Jude Law at the Oscars's though. I'm not the biggest Rock fan and didn't like those comments either. However he does shine here and does have the best lines. I also like the wrestlers in the film that star in supporting roles. You have Kevin Nash as a prison guard who gets his steroids replaced with estrogen. He's pretty funny in the movie, he doesn't have the potential of the Rock. Still scenes like where he asks the other guards why his nipples are so hard are pretty funny.
Goldberg is funny as a prisoner who's nickname for his private part is "the Sledgehammer". Stone Cold Steve Austin also stars as a prejudice prison guard. He doesn't get as much to do as Nash and Goldberg. The WWE was promoting the movie by mentioning just Austin and talking about his potential as an actor. If there's potential you don't get to see it that much in this movie. Sandler got knocked by Roeper for not being believable as a football player. I think he's much more believable here as one than in the Waterboy though. Plus quarterbacks don't have to be that big. I mean Jamie Fox isn't the biggest guy either and he played a quarterback in Any Given Sunday. I think Sandler pulls off the role fine. This is his best comedy I think. I can't count how many times I laughed. Most football comedies think they need a bar fight in-order to be funny. In the Longest Yard at least there's no bar for them to have a big brawl in.