Reasonably enjoyable but super cliched and predictable film about a juvenile detention facility where The Rock, Dwayne Johnson, starts up a football program. Nowhere as tough as Sean Penn's "Bad Boys." Nowhere as tough as Robert Aldrich's "The Longest Yard." Nowhere as funny as "The Bad News Bears." The script is paint-by-numbers, but is rescued by Johnson's strong performance as the coach, a solid supporting cast that includes Leon Rippy and Kevin Dunn, and solid directions from underused director Phil Joanou ("Three O'Clock High," "State of Grace," "U2: Rattle and Hum"). Overall, you've seen this film a hundred times before, but I suppose you could do worse.
Review of Gridiron Gang
