I have no connection to the original The Longest Yard, the classic Burt Reynolds sports flick, so my review of Adam Sandler's remake comes without the full context. That being said, I find the 2005 film one of Sandler's best. A hearty mixture of prison comedy, football drama, and vice-versa, The Longest Yard is nothing if not entertaining, especially for fans of the gridiron.Adam Sandler stars as Paul Crewe, a former football star who is sent to jail for drunk driving. Once there, the corrupt Warden Hazen (James Cromwell) organizes a football game where the sadistic prison guards can take out their frustrations on the inmates. Crewe gathers an eclectic team to take on the guards, and this is where kickoff starts, so to speak. The Longest Yard boasts an all-star cast, but not in the traditional sense. Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, and Burt Reynolds are the headliners here, but the real genius of the casting in The Longest Yard is in its supporting characters. The use of other kinds of stars, namely actual athletes who play the inmates and guards is no less than inspired. A rapper, Nelly, professional wrestlers Bill Goldberg, Bob Sapp, Dalip Singh (The Great Khali), and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, and NFL stars Michael Irvin, Terry Crews, and Brian Bosworth, are the heart of The Longest Yard. The athletes' here have screen presence to spare, and the movie oozes with goofy machismo. Each of the supporting players, including other comedians like Nicholas Turturro and Tracy Morgan, are cleverly drawn comedic characters. Each player has his place in the story. Both teams are made of people you can remember, and root for (or against) by the time the big game rolls around.As funny as The Longest Yard is, and it is at times up-roaringly hilarious, the movie works on more than just one level. Unlike another Adam Sandler football comedy, The Waterboy, The Longest Yard has some truly sensational football sequences, as well as a dash of genuine drama in a couple later scenes. On the topic of the "Big Game" that the movie builds to, I really can't think of a time I have been more amused by such a well-worn cliché. These football scenes are a joy to watch, if only because the inmates vs prison guards framing device allows the filmmakers to go above and beyond what you'd see on a regular Sunday. The players hit each other absurdly hard, but there is still a layer of authenticity to the scenes, thanks to the professional athletes in front of the camera.I'm not one to turn my nose up at Adam Sandler or his popular comedies, but The Longest Yard is more wildly and consistently entertaining than just about anything he has ever done. From the start, there is a macho zest coursing through this movie's veins. It's a guys flick if ever there was one. For dudes who can handle some good-natured racial ribbing, and tackles that make your head rattle just watching them, The Longest Yard is as cathartic as a touchdown and as satisfying as a cheeseburger.75/100

When I went to the theaters in 2005 to go watch The Longest Yard, I had no knowledge that the film was actually a remake. But this remake does a good job on it own to be a stand out movie.I saw this one twice in theaters which is not something I also do unless I really enjoy the movie enough to go see the movie again in theaters.And this is one of the funniest comedies I seen in a long time and I still remember how everyone in the theater laugh so loud in the theater it's just not something you see too much. The cast is a mix of comedy actors,Former NFL Players and Pro Wrestlers . Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Burt Reynolds, Nelly, Michael Irvin, Bill Goldberg, Steve Austin, Kevin Nash, Walter Williamson, Terry Crews, Bob Sapp,Nicolas Turturro, Dalip Singh,Lobo Sebastian, William Fichtner, Bill Romanowski, Brian Bosworth, James Cromwell and many more I just list the ones whose character plays the most important to the film plotNow this being a sport comedy they had to make it interesting enough to make it worth your time and it does that. Though there are some bits you would be better off not paying attention to The Longest Yard actually does a lot of things to make it a stand alone movie which most remakes don't do all that often.This film is full of drama and humor and quotes that you'll find yourself using after watching it. If you're a football fan or comedy fan do yourself a favor watch The Longest Yard it is full of a lot good.Surprising good acting, smart comedy and a plot that matches the story you'll be in for a good film I give The Longest Yard an 9 out of 10

The Longest Yard (2005): Dir: Peter Segal / Cast: Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Burt Reynolds, James Cromwell, William Fichtner: Remake of the 1974 classic about endurance in both physical and mental conditions. Adam Sandler plays former football quarterback who ends up in prison and is ordered to put together a team to play against the guards. Typical setup grows repetitious but the big payoff is the tremendous football action. Directed by Peter Segal who has worked with Sandler in two previous films, Anger Management and 50 First Dates. Sandler does well as an inmate who remembers the glory days of football and wishes to revisit it but the conclusion really never leaves a positive vibe in terms of his future happiness. Chris Rock plays Caretaker who first befriends Sandler then help him put a team together as well as sabotage the opposing team. What occurs as a result of this may be seen as too far in bad taste. Burt Reynolds plays a former football coach who is underwritten. His appearance has all to do with the fact that he starred in the original film. James Cromwell plays the stereotypical warden who barks orders and sabotages when able. William Fichtner plays an aggressive guard, which is not much of a stretch. While the football action is done well, the screenplay is nothing more than a recycled rehash remake that is the longest yard in patience. Score: 5 / 10

I watched the original Mean Machine before I saw this, and I think the screenplay did quite a great job in recreating the game in the different game environment. The story rolls out very predictably as it goes out as almost an exact copy of the original. At first the only thing kept me watching was the curiosity of who's going to play what character. But as the movie progresses, it's nice to see some variations here and there beside the whole game being changed from the football that the rest of the world know to the football Americans know. It's great that this movie has more humor compared to the original Mean Machine. I like how the movie twists the death of one of the characters into something more touching compared to the original. Also the last scene where Crewe is aimed at is a very nice touch that set this movie apart nicely from the original. It's nice to see many faces, especially those hard faces of action actors, making the merrier out of this movie. And it's great that the can handle jokes too. Sandler performed nice here, although it's quite strange to see that he can take on those violence and not get injured.