Golpe bajo: El juego final

I went to this film thinking it was going to suck. I was a big fan of the original. Loved it as a kid, although I know it's not a great film or anything.

I was surprised at how fun the remake was, although it is a superficial kind of fun. The original had better casting and stronger character development. Reynolds and Eddie Albert are so wonderful in their roles, Sandler and the new warden are pretty damn lame in comparison. And the original spent more time building the characters, so that by the end, the film really resonated in a way the remake does not.

BUT, the remake is a fun & energetic piece of pop entertainment. It goes much more for broad comedy and pretty much succeeds. It's not super- hilarious, but it's funny enough and much funnier than the original. Although Sandler is wrong for the part, he's likable enough. Chris Rock is funny, as are some of the others. And the overall brisk pace keeps the whole thing afloat.

Yes, it's a disposable movie. It lacks the dark undercurrents that made the first one so good. It even seems to self-consciously acknowledge that it will never stand outside the shadow of Burt Reynolds. No, it doesn't have as much substance, but it has its own childish charm.

I got to see the same sneak preview movie at the theatre last week.

With all the TV advertising and trailers at the movies I thought the film was coming out soon, but I just checked and they said it won't hit the Cineplex until May 27th!

Prediction? It will the box office winner on Memorial Day weekend. Perfect time to come out with a football picture because all the NFL fans are fed up with Arena football and thirsty for any real football.

Well, what can I say about the movie? Loved it! Very entertaining. You could get into the characters, no matter how despicable they were and you were rooting for them. Of course the story is an old one. They filmed it in 1974 with Burt Reynolds and it is about prisoners playing a football game against the guards. It's a comedy, but boy it is Violent with a capital V.

It is a real macho man movie and everyone is going to love it. Adam Sandler gets beat up or beat down a lot in the movie, they give the best lines and jokes to Chris Rock and there will be a few other Saturday Night Live people you will recognize in it. There are a lot of scenes of cheap shots and unsportsmanlike conduct. Very physical, very brutal. Some scenes will make you cringe. You will feel their pain. Not blood and guts with stabbings or shootings, but extreme football hurts and hits.

Yes it's a comedy and yes it's funny, but also ultra violent, did I mention that already? Now I know why I gave up on football in high school and focused more on Cross Country and Track & Field...because I realized I would live longer if I competed in a sport where no one is trying to injury me or knock you out of competition.

A great film? No, but people will feel they got their money's worth and yes, it will be popular on DVD with outtakes and behind the scenes footage. I can't see it getting a PG-13 rating, not with all the language and use of the "N" word by the cookie cutter, steroid popping sadistic guards.

The remake here was surprisingly good and pretty true to the original movie but will be most enjoyed by Adam Sandler fans or fans of the original. Except for a few exceptions to keep it up to date and a few to screw with those that saw the original, the stories are pretty much identical. The main character were all the same as well, but the supporting cast, especially the guards and cons, were changed up a bit.

Former NFL quarterback Paul Crewe (Sandler, replacing the original Burt Reynolds) is arrested and faces a 3 year sentence for GTA, DUI and I am sure some other stuff which is unimportant. After his sentencing, Warden Hazen (James Cromwell) pulls a few strings to get Crewe placed in his prison so he can coach his semi-pro team. Upon the urging of Captain Knauer (William Fichtner), Crewe declines, which sets the wheels in motion for an eventual game between Crewe and the convicts against Knauer and the guards.

The supporting football players were the real highlights of the movie, most notably Bob Sapp and Kevin Nash (I hate to say it but Nash did a good job. If only he was this good a wrestler), with honorable mentions to Nelly, Michael Irvin, Bill Goldberg, Steve Austin, Bill Romanowski & Brian Bosworth. Also, who could forget Chris Rock as Caretaker? This could not have been cast better.

Overall, A good comedy worth seeing. Especially if you are a Sandler fan.

I'm going to start off by admitting that I had no interest in this movie whatsoever. I only saw it because I was dragged. Was it as bad as I thought? Not at all. It was way better than I expected it to be. We all know those mindless comedies that barely have a plot, cheap dialogue and jokes, and are just filled with stupidities galore. I thought this was one of them. I was wrong. This remake had a pretty good storyline and a few laughable jokes and moments. I usually don't laugh out loud at movies, but I did find myself doing so three or four times here. So that takes care of the Funniness Factor. The story is easy to get involved in--you want to see the prisoners kick the guards' butts in football. It is a well played story and fun to watch. Sandler is not one of my favorite actors, but I have to give him his props because I am starting to see that he usually stars in movies that are at least remotely funny and that have a pretty decent plot. But the main thing is that his characters usually act the same. I would get into the slight lack of character development, but I'm sure you don't care to read about that. You only wish to know if this movie is funny or not and if it's worth watching! Well, yes the movie has its moments and it's good to watch, especially if you like football or are a Sandler fan. This has its good kicks and it is near a touchdown in the comedy category. So if you want to have a good time and relax to some entertainment, you can watch this

6.6/10 Stars

A personal favorite and one of the more decent remakes. The characters are well cast and at least decently acted, love the decision to give Burt such a big part. There's more than a few laughs and some fun (if not legal) football moments.