Production Year: 2001 - Action/Adventure - Director: Barry Skolnick - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Vinnie Jones, David Hemmings, David Kelly, Vas Blackwood, Robbie Gee, Ralph Brown, John Forgeham, Jason Flemyng, Jason Statham
In this remake of THE LONGEST YARD, Robert Aldrich's 1974 Burt Reynolds prison tale concerning inmates who organize themselves into a football team and compete against the guards,... more
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Advantages: Can be funny and good when there's nothing else on Disadvantages: Most would probably find it to be a joke
...remaining two hours. Well maybe Mean Machine didn't exactly grab me as I saw it in the Channel 4 line-up, but with nothing else to really watch you can't argue with a Sunday night movie. Of course my experiences with Ch4 movies haven't been great, I seem to remember the last one I watched was Cabin Fever, one of my most hated movies of all time, so how did Mean Machine fair at filling in that gap in the schedule between 10pm and midnight?
I literally ... ...watching an original. My bad. Mean Machine is said to be a 2001 remake of the original 'Longest Yard' movie, which that itself has had an American remake in more recent years. Mean Machine is a purely British film though, and that is just stamped in permanent ink by the fact that the lead role is played by Vinnie Jones himself. Generally I'm not a Vinnie Jones fan, and I remember one of the things I hated the most about 'Euro Trip' was Vinnie Jones' ...
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Advantages: Vinnie Jones, english football Disadvantages: none, other than perhaps violence/swearing if you dislike it
...re-made into an english version, Mean Machine, in 2001, starring Vinnie Jones as the leading lad. One of the original writers, Tracy Keenan Wynn, joins Charlie Fletcher, Chris Baker and Andrew Day to bring this up to modern day.
The original has also been re-made in 2005, with the same name, starring Adam Sandler, in a more direct re-make.
→ Plot
Danny Meehan (Vinnie Jones) is the disgraced ex-england captain, who gets jailed after drink ... ...penalty in a crucial world cup game, few of the inmates want anything to do with him. The Governor has his own semi-pro football team, composed of the guards of the prison, and wants Danny to coach them. Burton, the head guard, complicates his life by informing him that Meehan will NOT be coaching his team.
Danny finds a way around it; offer the guards a 'friendly' warm-up match against the cons, who he will coach into shape. Its a struggle to get ...
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28.07.2006
(06.08.2006)
Mean Machine Review ofMean Machine (Wide Screen)by
richyncfc
Advantages: actually good Disadvantages: langauge can offend
...exactly warming up to Danny Mean because he betrayed his team in a crucial world cup game. However hard Danny Mean tries through, he just can’t keep his head down. Danny then comes across a opportunity he will never forget, a football game against the guards. Finally the prisoners have the chance to get there own back on the people that beats and tortures them. Danny must now lead the prisoners to victory, however there are some difficulties during ... ...like he did England? The film is amazing, and very enjoyable. -->Disadvantages of the film
I personally couldn’t actually spot any disadvantages during the film, however there may be some where people may become offended. There is a lot of swearing during the film, and some crude characters. The film also wasn’t long enough! It lasted approx 99 mins, which was disappointing as the most funniest bits were in the game which was at the end of the film
...
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Advantages: EVERYTHING & VINNIE JONES Disadvantages: NEEDS TO BE LONGER
...disgraced ex England captain Danny Mean (Vinnie Jones) is thrown in jail for assaulting two police officers, (which was the best opening scene that I have ever seen in a film), however he is a disgraced ex footballer for a reason and his high status doesn’t serve him well in jail and many f the other inmates aren’t impressed over his part in the crucial World Cup Game, Danny when reaching the high fame and money there was began to look past the passion ... ...I am honestly waiting for mean machine 2 to be released, there will never be another film like this that can make me laugh and smile all the way through. I will recommend this film to everyone, however there is a lot of bad language within the film making the rating at 15, this could cause offence to some people. ...
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04.05.2007
Mean Machine Review ofMean Machine (Wide Screen)by
kipskabin
Advantages: Vinnie Jones and Jason Statham - Jones can really act and Statham is hilarious in this role Disadvantages: Hmm if I had to pick anything out it wouldprobably be the swearing - only because we watched it with the kids and would prefer for them not to hear quite so much!
Wow! Brilliant. I saw it first on tv but hubby was out fishing (yeah very boring). I missed parts of it with sorting the kids out and stuff so I bought it a few days later from eBay.
We all sat down together as a family (apart from our 1 year old) and we enjoyed it so much. Vinnie Jones really can act and did so brilliantly - he's a bit of alright too girls ;o). Vinnie Jones plays Danny Meehan a football superstar who had it all but now he's all ... ...cop things go from bad to worse.
There were lots of laughs, we all laughed out loud lots and there were a few laughs that went over the children's heads too (fortunately). It managed to combine some really serious stuff ie an old guy who was in for blowing up and 'enemy' of his but also blew up the guys wife and 14 month old child and was finding it really hard to come to terms with.
The basis of the story is a one off footie match between the ...
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Actor(s): Vinnie Jones, David Hemmings, David Kelly, Vas Blackwood, Robbie Gee, Ralph Brown, John Forgeham, Jason Flemyng, Jason Statham
Director(s): Barry Skolnick
Genre: Action & Adventure - Comedy
Classification: 15 years and over
Production Year: 2001
Running Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Video Category: Feature Film
Plot: Ex professional footballer, Danny Mehan, lands in prison on an assault charge and discovers that he is banged up with a few inmates who haven't forgiven him for fixing a game... Can he manage to throw a team together in order to get him on side with the guards and also save his neck with his fellow prisoners?...
Release details
DVD Region: Region 2 (Europe)
Studio(s): PARAMOUNT HOME ENTERTAINMENT; TECHNICOLOR DIST. SERVICES
In this remake of THE LONGEST YARD, Robert Aldrich's 1974 Burt Reynolds prison tale concerning inmates who organize themselves into a football team and compete against the guards, British director Barry Skolnick pulls together a ruthlessly funny cast and changes the resident sport to soccer. The leader of the prisoners, played by Vinnie Jones (LOCK, STOCK, AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS), is a former soccer star who is asked by the warden to coach a team of prison guards. Instead, he offers to put together a team of inmates, who will be able to scrimmage with the guards' team.
Technical information
Special Features: US Theatrical Feature Audio
Aspect Ratio: 1.78 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
Dubbing Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 English Italian
Professional reviews
Review: "...When the camera and the players are on the field, the film soars and roars, powered by an indefatigable energy..." (Box Office, p.62, 01/05/2002)
"...Enjoyable....MEAN MACHINE is what it is, and very nicely, too..." (Chicago Sun-Times, p.30, 01/03/2002)
"...It plays well, with a fast pace and plenty of punch..." (Los Angeles Times, p.C25, 22/02/2002)
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Listed on Ciao since : 23/06/2005
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