Having never seen Burt Reynolds in The Longest Yard you won't have to listen to me compare the two, with that said,, I loved the all British ensemble cast ,, Jason Statham obviously did a nice job ,, but to me Mr. Vinnie Jones steals the show, I love him in everything he's in it seems.. this movie is about a national soccer hero who screws up in a major championship game is ridiculed by his countrymen,, winds up in prison,, and organizes a soccer game between the inmates and the guards. stirring and compelling look at prison life in a foreign country as opposed to most movies where it's all based in the United States of America. I love all of the British accents, the scenery in the movie is also very nice, above average picture , story of one man leading a group of men to a greater cause, in an otherwise dreary everyday existence.

Mean Machine is an English reworking of Robert Aldrich's 1974 beefcake Burt Reynolds starrer, The Longest Yard. Substituting Gridiron for Soccer, director Barry Skolnick, along with his roll call of British "faces", is only aiming for one market.That of the footie worshipping clan that primarily resides within the United Kingdom.Very much a long way from competing on the same playing field as Aldrich's superior movie, Mean Machine does have enough about it to make it an enjoyable viewing outside of the excellently constructed soccer match that fills out the last third of the piece. But with the film's reputation being far from good, the chance that many others feel the same as me are pretty remote. About as remote as Accrington Stanley winning the English Premiere League one feels.The problem would seem to lay with the first hour, violence and humour thrust together does not always yield great rewards, and so it be with the wet behind the ears direction from Skolnick. Caught between a tough portrayal of British prison life and outright slapstick, it's an odd bedfellow that Skolnick can't quite get right. And with Guy Ritchie on the sidelines donning the "supervising producer" shirt, one can't help thinking that Ritchie would have made substantially more with the material to hand. But as "I" say, there's enough there for the discerning fan of blood and banter.Led by the watchable Jones, the cast, outside of the miscast David Hemmings as the Governor, pull out the stops to entertain the terrace faithful. Danny Dyer haters will enjoy him getting knocked about as he plays simpleton Billy Limpet, while Jason Statham is a joy as Monk, a Jock that even the Jocks are afraid of. While also putting in scene stealing shifts of note are Jamie Sives, Vas Blackwood and Omid Djalili. It's no piece of work to rank in the higher echelons of British movies - or sports movies in general for that matter. But in spite of its soggy formula and over reliance on the template film it's working from, it's very funny at times, and if you like soccer? Well the actual match is well worth the wait. 7/10Footnote: The Longest Yard/Mean Machine was met with another re- imaging in 2005 with Adam Sandler as the disgraced lead protagonist. Proof positive that it's either a formula that many can't resist? Or that it's one that some feel still hasn't yet met its potential?

Generally, I'm a fan of any British; that doesn't count me as an unfair person. When I'm talking for movies, I'll like to be honest and fair, because I love cinema...So... I'm a huge fan of European cinema, specially for French & British.This particular "kind" of British movies, the "so-called" ACTION-COMEDY ones, specially the kind of movies like the "Snach", is my TOP FAVORITE kind.This one, "Mean Mashine", is a quite good movie to watch. So, why I voted with "7"? Simple... If you're a fan of Vinnie Jones (as player or actor) and the incredible Jason Statham, you can't vote something below "7"! Of course, "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" & "Snach", are two of the TOP British movies, with really clever scenario, fantastic directing and great acting.But... in this movie, you'll find yourselves laughing many times, by the unique British humor and... phrases!"Bollocks"!

Of the three Guy Ritchie/Jason Statham combination films that I have seen (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels; Snatch; and this), this was probably the film I found the least entertaining.That is not to say, however, that I did not enjoy it.Mean Machine is a soccer film with a peculiar twist-- the teams are comprised of guards and convicts. Though this is a remake of sorts (The Longest Yard being the original), I have always been a fan of Britflicks and this is no different-- it exceeds the original in many ways.The trouble is, I am not sure I agree with the selection of Vinnie Jones as the lead. He is a strong actor, no doubt, but I think he better serves a film as a member of the supporting cast-- he cannot carry a film on his own. Instead, this film belonged to the supporting cast (Statham, especially.) Regardless, it is a great film to pass a couple of hours and to keep one entertained.8/10.