A fun movie, but not as good as the team it's based on.

Rating: Null/10 (15 April 2002)

I enjoyed The Replacements. It's pretty silly but still a lot of fun. Gene Hackman, as the coach, is good -- as he always is. Keanu Reeves is just right as the replacement quarterback, and Brooke Langton is terrific as the beautiful, sexy-but-wholesome head cheerleader. The fact that she and Reeves' character fall in love is predictable but nice.
I would like to note, however, that this movie is very-loosely based on a real replacement team that played for the Washington Redskins during an NFL players' strike. Despite the fact that the real Redskins were the only NFL team that did not have a single player who crossed the picket line during the strike, their replacements won all three of their games and helped the Redskins make the playoffs where they ultimately won the Superbowl. The Redskins' replacements finest game was their last one -- an improbable victory over a Dallas Cowboys team many of whose regular players had crossed the picket line.
So enjoy The Replacements as a comedy, but please don't forget what the Redskins' replacements actually accomplished in real life.