Gridiron Gang

Reviewed by:
Pete Hammond

Continuing in the vein of the many, many sports movies of late "inspired" by actual events, Gridiron Gang scores big time! It's the real thing— a powerful, stirring film, loaded with action-to-the-max in the streets and on the field. It's a great showcase for Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, who turns up the heat with his best role yet. Playing real-life juvenile detention parole officer Sean Porter, The Rock teams with another officer (Xzibit) to create a high school football team out of a bunch of hard-bitten teen criminals and gang members. Based on a documentary of the same name, the Hollywood version takes a few liberties but generally stays true to the actual team members, who are featured in scenes from the original doc over the end credits. Kind of a combination of Boyz 'n the Hood and Remember the Titans, this inspirational drama pushes all the right buttons for the genre, but finds its own rhythm in a group of characters that society has tossed out, only to be given one last chance for a successful life. The remarkable achievement of the real coaches in turning these kids around is delivered in first-class treatment by director Phil Joanou, who gives the film a much grittier look than the norm for these types of flicks. The "gang" members are perfectly cast, each a distinctive and fully dimensional personality, particularly Jade Yorker as a potentially great running back nearly torn apart by outside influences. Sure, you've seen this kind of stuff before, but when it works as well as it does here, it seems brand new and certainly like two hours well-spent.

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