Starring: Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Burt Reynolds, Nelly, James Cromwell
Directed by: Peter Segal
Studio: Paramount Home Entertainment
Video: 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Audio: English DD 5.1, English DD 2.0, French DD 2.0
Subtitles and Captions: English, Spanish and English Closed Captions
Extras: Five featurettes (“First Down and Twenty-Five to Life”, “The
Care & Feeding of Pro Athletes”, “Here Comes the Boom”, “Extra
Points” and “Lights, Camera, Touchdown!”); 9 deleted/extended scenes
with commentary; blooper reel; “Errtime” music video; previews
Length: 113 minutes
Rating: ***1/2
In a remake of the 1974 cult classic film of the same name, Adam
Sandler inherits the role of former NFL all-pro quarterback Paul
‘Wrecking’ Crewe (as was formerly played by Burt Reynolds). After
getting arrested for a parole violation and thrown into a
maximum-security prison, Crewe is ordered by the warden to assemble a
group of inmates and form a football team. The inmate team,
nicknamed the “Mean Machine”, is coached by hard-nosed Nate Scarborough
(Burt Reynolds). The inmate team is to play a nationally
televised game against the prison guard team. The warden dearly
wants his prison guards to win and he is willing to take whatever steps
are necessary to ensure that outcome. However, with personal
scores to settle against the prison guards, the members of the Mean
Machine have other plans for the game. The Longest Yard was a box
office smash with over $150 million in domestic receipts. Having
previously watched the original film, I think this new version lacks
the biting social commentary and emotional impact of the 1974
movie. However, this 2005 version is goofy, fun and an enjoyable
way to spend a couple of hours. Fans of Adam Sandler and sports
movies in general will not be disappointed. Recommended.
The overall video quality of this DVD is excellent. Images are
crisp and unblemished with razor sharp detail. Colors are vivid
and bright with fully saturated hues. Picture defect mastering is
perfect with no major flaws. The overall audio quality is very
good with the English Dolby Digital 5.1 track serving as the basis for
this review. The soundtrack mix favors the forward
soundstage. Dialogue is natural sounding and securely positioned
in the center channel. The surround channels are moderately
utilized for both the sound effects and the music score. The low
frequency effects channel is taut and punchy.
Reference equipment: [Video projector- Studio Experience
Cinema 17SF; Projection screen- Vutec 103” SilverStar; Video Processor-
DVDO iScanHD+; DVD player- V, Inc. Bravo D1; A/V Receiver- Sherwood
Newcastle R-963T; Speakers- Acoustech Cinema Series loudspeakers;
Tactile Transducers- Clark Synthesis; Cables/Wires- Bettercables.com ]
