The Longest Yard

Reviewed by:
Paul Ulane

Are you ready for some fake football? Adam Sandler forcibly replaces Burt Reynolds in this remake that is one part hilarious and two parts unnecessary. Still, The Longest Yard tackles a few memorable gags, and the DVD packs more laughs onto a hefty roster of extras. The all-inclusive "First Down and Twenty-Five To Life" visits the real prison set for amusing footage of Sandler working out and cameo king Chris Berman spouting cast nicknames. (Let's just say it works better on Prime Time.) The deleted scenes deliver more of what made the final cut, including additional cameos from star athletes, while the hysterical outtakes catch the jocks playing pranks on the actors. In another featurette, Michael Irvin calls in his stunt double for any routes over the middle and the teams train for the on-screen games. (Sadly, they look like they could beat the snot out of the Browns.) But the funniest featurette is "The Care and Feeding of Pro Athletes," which sits tableside as Teamsters work desperately to feed the comedically gigantic athletes on set. We're guessing it's the most action a craft services table has seen since Horatio Sanz filmed Boat Trip.

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