Gridiron Gang

Phil Joanou's Gridiron Gang might just as well have been titled Remember the Titans on the Longest Yard. In the by-the-numbers script—“based on a true story,” of course—former wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson plays an officer at a juvenile detention facility who comes up with the idea of combating recidivism among his street-hardened charges (with the hopes of reducing gang-versus-gang violence on the outside) by organizing the inmates into a football team, so that they'll be able to see what it's like to work together towards a common goal. Among the players are the obligatory comic-relief-ers, but the central figures are the stereotypical initially-antagonistic types—taught by their tough-as-nails-with-a-heart-of-gold coach to play in tandem, so they'll jettison their animosities, develop loyalties that cross over gang boundaries, and transfer their new sense of commitment into improving their lives after being released. Although uplifting, Gridiron Gang is also hopelessly simplistic and pat, and the filmmakers compound the formulaic feel by running excerpts over the closing credits from the 1993 Emmy-winning documentary that inspired the film—these clips are far more affecting than anything in the movie itself. Not recommended. [Note: Available in either widescreen or full screen versions, DVD extras include audio commentary by director Phil Joanou, 15 deleted scenes with optional commentary (23 min.), a six-minute “Football Training” featurette, a four-minute “Profile” on Joanou, “The Rock Takes the Field” on star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (4 min.), a multi-angle football scene (4 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a decent extras package for an unfortunately formulaic film.] (F. Swietek)