The Longest Yard: Sandler as you’ve never seen him before
I would like to acknowledge first the means by which I was able to watch this movie. DWLS-FM sponsored the premier in Megamall last week and I was pulling my hair in all directions, wishing SOMEONE from our radio group would say that there are tickets left. My good friend (naks) Anton used his powers of persuasion to ask an AE for some tickets for me, and in an hour or so, I got my tickets. I owe Anton something. Remind me.
I am an Adam Sandler filmographer. I have seen every movie he has starred in (not counting those were he was a bit player, like in Coneheads). I have a small collection of his work: Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, Wedding Singer, Mr. Deeds, the wonderful Airheads (during those years when he had six-pack abs), 50 First Dates and his attempt at an Oscar (but led only to Golden Globe nomination), Punch Drunk Love, and Spanglish.
I did not expect to love The Longest Yard. It’s an f-ing sports flick. It’s about a sport I don’t understand — football. But it’s Adam so I had to see it.
By the way, those reviews you read online, in rottentomatoes.com? They’re bull, alright? Critics are filmmakers who can’t sell their screenplays. If you enjoy a movie, then enjoy it. Don’t let someone else’s opinion bother you.
Well, I loved it. It was an hour-and-a-half of goofball laughs, half-naked guys, loud rap music, and a fitter albeit sexier Adam — but that’s just me. Nary a “whoop-dee-doo” in sight. It was a more serious, more “darker” comedy type of Adam. He cast Chris Rock to do all the goofball stuff for him. Rock is great in here too.
Spoiler: If you’re a Chris Rock fan, you have GOT to see this.
The Longest Yard is about a has-been football player, Paul Crewe, who gets arrested for drunk driving and has to serve his sentence of 3 years in an isolated prison somewhere in the dessert. His warden, played by James Cromwell, loves football and has organized the prison guards to compete versus other officers in the state. Naturally, Crewe’s addition to his prisoner line-up was a gift from heaven.
The warden makes Crewe organize the other inmates to serve as a “guinea pig” team for the prison guards for practice. In effect, the inmates are not playing to win, so they won’t. Crewe organizes the weirdest, most dangerous criminals all hell-bent to sock it to every prison guard who has ever hurt them.
Nelly is here. Wrestlers Stone Cold Steve Austin and Kevin Nash are here (yes, I know my wrestlers. I’m sure you do too). Two NFL superstars are here too but I don’t care.
Every time I watch a Sandler movie, I have fun. Movies should be fun. I hate drama, I hate movies that scare me, I hate romance movies because they are almost always UNTRUE. There is way too much drama in our lives (You get a 10% raise in your salary, but your expense go up 50%. Stupid government). Watch movies to have fun. You will have fun with this one.
