Gridiron Gang (2006)

Very well executed

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Former American football star turned juvenile penitentiary manager Sean Porter (Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson) makes it his goal to train and give discipline to a bunch of no hope loser detention centre detainees. It's an uphill struggle for Porter at first, but through hard work and commitment he makes these kids learn that valuing oneself and being a team player can go an awful long way...From its brutal opening sequences to its rather touching (albeit predictable ending) Gridiron gang is a message film - admittedly one that is metaphorically emblazoned on its chest a little too much. It's a warm film and one with so much heart to it that it's almost impossible not to find oneself touched by it.The start of the film is very clichéd filled with practically undecipherable 'street dialogue' before this story-thread comes to a rather abrupt halt...Then we find ourselves in the detention centre and in steps Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson - a man who at this point in his career had only just left wrestling to form a career as an actor. At this particular juncture, Johnson was still trying to establish himself as an actor so perhaps this was his time to showcase his talents and to be fair he really takes the bull by its horns in this film. Yes we know he can do all the shouty tough-talking stuff and I'm sure he embraced the scene where one of the football team has to try and knock him down - it probably reminded him of his WWE days. However, Johnson is also good outside of the obvious and manages to give some heart and weight to the picture - the scenes with this mother are very touching.Not only is the film successful as a basic 'feel-good' story, but the film also benefits from strong characterisation; you find yourself indifferent to a lot of these juvenile detainees at the start of the film, but due to strong character development I found myself caring about them - the likes of Junior and Weathers have a lot to fight for, but it just takes them both a while to realise it and as a result of this their characters are particularly compelling.Gridiron gang remains a great film and one that opens our minds to the turf wars that are still wholly real in this day and age. The writers showcase that working as a team and being part of a team can often overshadow more trivial aspects of life (such as gang-warfare) and despite its slightly heavy-handed and clichéd approach it does achieve its goal and gets its message across in an entertaining and rather informative manner.

It may seem like we have seen this kind of a film before. The one where we have troubled adolescents with no real direction of life, getting the motivation from dedicated teachers to provide tough love and to motivate these kids to prepare them for the future and to inject a positive outcome and to show that you can be anything you want if you set your mind to it. Based on actual events based on the Emmy winning show of the same name, "Gridiron Gang" is one of many films focused on the trials and tribulations of troubled teens. The delinquents fail to co-exist, but through the power of sport, they are able to learn about teamwork, the power of cooperation and the gift of hope. In order for this dream to become a reality, they need to have someone to guide them on the right path. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson walks in familiar territory like Michelle Pfeiffer in "Dangerous Minds" and Samuel L. Jackson from "Coach Carter" he takes the helm as the guy setting these delinquents on the straight and narrow by getting involved in football. With his experience in wrestling and football, Johnson is the perfect choice for the role. With his tough attitude and his glimmering charisma, he not only looks believable he also fits the role to a tee. Even though he has starred in mostly action films, The Rock has stepped out of his bubble to expand in other areas by taking on a more dramatic role as we can sit back and enjoy the laughter and tears as his words of wisdom combined with his humour will bring out that feeling of hope. Even though the movie lasts well over two hours, I was surprised that this movie never feels like it's dragging and the sports scenes get a piece of action as well. The dramatic scenes and the action scenes are both equally proportioned and manages successfully to keep its audience intrigued. That's a rarity because in many movies they either usurp one another. Even though these types of films are formulaic, but here in "Gridiron Gang", we can't help but feel sympathy for the characters. Even though football is the sport of choice here, you don't need a full encyclopedic knowledge to enjoy the movie. This further expands its viewers who don't know the game or are fans of the game.As the film progresses, you begin to root for the Mustangs as they gain the confidence in winning and functioning as a team. It's very freshening that teamwork can help solve one's problems and that all underdogs can achieve their goals when the odds are stacked against us. And though these kids have committed acts of terrible, sometimes violent crimes, it's very rarely brought upon by director Phil Joanou who's concentrating on looking though the positive ways of life through these characters and paint a positive outlook on their lives. It's never an easy path to take, therefore football is the pivotal start in the right direction. Sure there's some preachiness in the film about staying strong, confident and don't throw your lives away. As long as you're alive on this planet, you'll never stop learning and that rings true to the Mustang team, the coach and the trainers as well.At the end of the film as the credits roll, there are brief snippets of the documentary that this movie is based on which includes the opportunity to see the real Sean Porter and the Mustang players this movie is based on.

I just finished this movie and here is what I think it for what it was which was a story about how a juvenile correction worker risks his job for a football program to help the convicts escape gang life. It was a touching movie in its emotional parts and an exciting one in its game sequences. It showed the struggle some have to go through to leave their gangs or even to survive in prison. If you are interested in an underdog story or a good sports movie this wouldn't be a poor choice. The Movie is based in California in the late 1980's to early 1990's in a correctional facility. One of the workers want's to start a football team in order to teach the kids about hard work and teamwork in order for them to have a chance for a future. It starts out looking like the program was going to fail. It currently has a gang return rate of only 8% before the program the return rate was over 68%. Duane Johnson was one of the main characters in the movie and I feel he did one of the best jobs for his character when it focused on his dying mother and his passion for coaching football. Sctu. Taase and his character was one of the key components for the movie as it starts out as him being violent and uncooperative to him changing and becoming a major part of the team. J. Yorker played Willie a gang youth arrested soon after the death of his cousin. David. V. Thomas plays the role of Calvin a rival gang member of Willies. In the more important scenes I didn't like how some of the acting was stiff, such as when Xzibit's character is convincing the christen coach to let them play against their team it seemed so stiff emotionally. I did like however the scenes where you could see the team slowly come together as it showed character progression. I disliked the character "Bug" because I found him annoying but that seemed on purpose. I think the story is about having the will to try and change who you are for the better and that second chances are sometimes what a person needs to succeed. It also warns of the dangers of gang life and the impact it can have of you and your family. I think one of its better lessons was that even if you do not win you are not a loser if you put your heart into it. I would recommend this movie to people who generally like underdog stories and football. I would hesitate to bring children to this film as it contains violence, swearing, and mild racism. If you watch football movies often you might notice some clichés such as the coach going too far and realizing what he did and apologizing to the team for it. All in all I rate this a 4/5. I rated it this because I noticed so many clichés and some scenes were just stiff in the acting but other scenes showed high tension very well. I am a student in the 11th grade at GCCC and who played football for over eight years before I quit after a concussion. They like reading, gaming, and sleeping.

Based on a real story, Camp Kilpatrick juvenile detention center is a rough place where really troubled kids go to. It's a revolving door of fights, crime, and death where 75% of the kids eventually end up in prison. Supervisors Sean Porter (Dwayne Johnson) and Malcolm Moore (Xzibit) decide to put together a football team to get the teens to work together.I love The Rock in this. He is completely earnest and puts in a terrific performance. The kids aren't cuddly. The violence look real. Like the opening narration says, these kids didn't get locked up for showing up at the prom drunk. These guys are there because somebody got shot in the parking lot. The story is extremely simple. There are no surprises. The movie can be summed up in a couple of lines. It's not one of those jokey sports movies. It takes everything seriously.