Mean Machine (2001)
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Duration: 98 minuten
Country:
United Kingdom / United States
Directed by: Barry Skolnick
Stars: Vinnie Jones, David Kelly and Jason Statham
IMDb score:
6,4 (42.859)
Releasedate: 26 December 2001
Mean Machine plot
"It's Not Just About Football, It's About Pride Inside!"
Successful soccer player Danny Meehan loses his career after being arrested for a violent outburst in a drunken stupor. The guards at the prison where Danny ends up try to force him to train the inmates' soccer team. Danny comes up with a better plan: He offers to train the team for a game against the guards.
Actors and actresses
Danny Meehan
Doc
Governor
Burton
Massive
Trojan
Ratchett
Sykes
Tracey
Billy the Limpet
Reviews & comments
leatherhead
-
- 3556 messages
- 1813 votes
A bit of a cliché comedy, but I still enjoyed it quite a bit.
I have a soft spot for British comedies anyway, and also for actors like Vinnie Jones and Jason Statham. That whole language is just amazing. Also nice to recognize a lot of actors that I already saw in Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels.
Furthermore, this is of course not all high-end, but just wonderful entertainment, with the highlight of course being the entire football match. Pretty nice editing now and then, like those gray bits with Statham. Jones was slightly less than in, for example, Snatch or Lock, Stock. Tougher roles really suit him a lot better I think and also fit better with his appearance.
Enough for a small 3.5 *. Nice, smooth comedy.
Shadowed
-
- 10184 messages
- 6094 votes
British prison.
Jones has always been interesting to me as an actor, mainly because he was actually a football player. Therefore ideally chosen to play this movie as the lead role, and he does it quite well. It lacks some British charm here and there, but that is quickly forgiven.
Perhaps not very successful as a comedy or prison film. That cautious British humor has not always worked for me, especially because there always has to be such a strange type or characters. Here too, the film is full of them, but that is partly forgiven because they are, after all, in prison.
Film doesn't last too long, because it does help since the story isn't too strong. Acting convincing, many roles that the actors can do something with, and therefore have a bit more charm. Also nice to see Statham in these kinds of roles.
What I liked most about the film was the sport, it turned out very well. The match, despite a number of disturbing clichés, is nicely portrayed. Sometimes a bit chaotic, but not too chaotic so that you lose the overview. It remains light and exciting.
The drama hasn't always worked out well, as the build-up isn't too good and the scene itself is often too short to be taken seriously. Especially because the soundtrack suddenly goes in a completely different direction while it was still good and light the second before. So a bit weird.
Ultimately a smooth film where the sport itself is fun, nothing more and nothing less. Nice acting by Jones.
Neder0001
-
- 663 messages
- 1619 votes
An important indicator in comedies for me is the humor and how often I am at a loss. This film fully lived up to that. Vinny Jones & Jason Statham play great characters and the referee during the match between the prisoners and guards is also very funny. I did get a huge deja-vu feeling because I had already set up The Longest Yard (2005) not so long ago. A kind of American rip-off I think, because it was significantly less.
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