Gridiron Gang: Critic Reviews

The picture is so earnest that it leaves out the easy, old-school pleasure conjured by the last few years of Disney sports flicks (Invincible, Miracle, The Rookie).

... the movie's good intentions are consistently undermined by its simplistic notion of redemption, and its inspirational thrust is diluted by an epilogue that suggests the program still has a ways to go in the life-altering department.

Gridiron entertains and makes a powerful point about the faults inherent in the penal system, particularly for youths with hopes of rehabilitation.

... a lugubrious tutorial on the importance of being a winner.

... despite the shameless cutting and pasting, it's hard to argue with the movie's intentions.

The Rock commits himself admirably to this trite tale, but by the end, even his enormous shoulders buckle under the weight of so many cliches.

This lazy and episodic tacking (pep talk, game, pep talk, game) aggravated me because it sabotages the film's social relevance and honest-to-goodness cinematic uplift.

Though it doesn't really teach us anything new, Gridiron Gang -- mainly due to the powerful screen presence of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson -- is mildly entertaining and, at times, somewhat compelling.

As sports movies go, Gridiron Gang isn't bad, just not top-line material.

The film has nowhere near as many well-developed characters as it has street, prison yard and on-field brawls.

... as Robert Aldrich proved in The Longest Yard, a football movie should be able to hit harder.

Great message, so-so movie.

The film is energetic and technically polished, with flashes of humor ...

It may not be a great film, but it is a thoroughly admirable movie.

Despite its good intentions, Gridiron Gang is full of cliches, but at least they're captivating cliches.

Auds will respond, either to the uplifting message and the solid action sequences.

Some movies present their whole story in a two-minute trailer, but Gridiron Gang says it all in its poster ...

... an extremely inefficient film, wasting time -- the movie's and ours.

While grittier on the surface, Phil Joanou's allegedly 'true story' inspired Gridiron Gang is as soft and safe in its centre as any of the two dozen or so inspirational pigskin operas that have been released in the past two years.

If you like your sports movies, especially your football movies, larded with more cliches than a politician's stump speech, Gridiron Gang begs to be seen.

... about as inspirational as a yawn.

... utterly predictable ...

Dwayne Johnson pushes his emotionally charged performance so hard that you think he might pop a blood vessel.