I generally like Adam Sandler comedies because they are simple, straightforward stories that are almost always entertaining. Sure, there have been a couple of misfires along the way (I didn’t think Chuck and Larry was very good), but for the most part, I get what I expect from Sandler.

I somehow missed The Longest Yard, a remake of the 1974 Burt Reynolds film, when it was in theaters, and then didn’t get around to renting it until just last weekend. I never saw the original, so can’t make comparisons between the two movies, but I thought this version was decent on its own.

Plot summary (with possible spoilers): Sandler stars as Paul Crewe, a washed-up former NFL MVP who was banned from the league because of a points-shaving scandal. Crewe steadfastly maintained his innocence, and there wasn’t enough evidence to indict him. However, his reputation with the fans was ruined. All he does now is drink beer and let Lena (Courteney Cox), his rich bitch of a girlfriend, boss him around.

One night after getting into a fight with Lena, Crewe takes off in her Bentley, with a six-pack of beer in hand. Lena reports her car stolen, and it’s not long before Crewe gets pulled over. For some reason, instead of letting the cops take him in, he decides to lead them on a high-speed chase through the city. Crewe ends up crashing the Bentley and trashing several squad cars, which lands him in jail on a 3-year sentence.

Crewe ends up in a Texas prison where the warden ( and guards are big on football. They play in a semi-pro league, and take everything very seriously. Warden Hazen (James Cromwell) wants Crewe to help give his team a few tips, since they’ll be playing last year’s league champs in their very first game. Crewe says it would be a good idea to have a tune-up game against a weaker team to help get their confidence up. Warden Hazen agrees, so he orders a reluctant Crewe to recruit some inmates to play against the guards.

The rest of the film consists of the scenes that you’d expect from a movie like this. First, we see how terrible the inmate team is and how good the guards are. Then we see Crewe have setback after setback in terms of recruiting. After that, one good player joins up, then another, and another. Finally, the inmate team starts coming together and it looks like they’ll have a shot to win after all. And of course, we get extended coverage of the Big Game, with the underdogs triumphing in the end.

My Reaction: Despite the fact that nothing unexpected happens in The Longest Yard, I still found it to be enjoyable. I guess that’s probably because I’m a huge football fan anyway, so I liked that the game was central to the story. Moreover, even though the script wasn’t that great, Sandler was his usual likable self, which made it easy to keep watching even though I knew how the whole thing was going to turn out.

One thing I didn’t particularly care for was how much of a farce the action in the big game was. I mean, karate kicks and punches? Give me a break! I would have preferred a more straightforward take on the game, with the inmates getting their revenge via the types of clean hits you’d actually get in a football game. I guess the filmmakers were going for laughs with those moves, but really, it was just stupid.

Besides William Fichtner as Knauer, I didn’t think any of the supporting characters were that good. I was expecting a lot more from Chris Rock, so I was disappointed with his lack of funny one-liners. The guys on the team weren’t very memorable either, unless you think big, brutish dumb clods are funny.

Overall, The Longest Yard won’t go down as one of Sandler’s best films, but it’s definitely watchable. I give it 3 stars out of 5, and recommend that you check it out the next time you’re in the mood for a mindless sports flick.

I’m not a fan of so-called “stoner comedies” like Dazed & Confused, Dude, Where’s My Car?, or even Fast Times at Ridgemont High, so I wasn’t in any rush to check out 2004′s entry into the genre, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. But over the years, this film has developed a pretty strong cult following, and since I now watch star Kal Penn in the TV series House and co-star Neil Patrick Harris in How I Met Your Mother, I figured I would give this film a try. All I can say is, it wasn’t as bad as I expected it to be!

Plot summary (with possible spoilers): Harold (played by John Cho) and Kumar (Penn) are twenty-something roommates who like to get high in their free time. One night after smoking some weed, they inevitably get the munchies. Harold reaches for the phone to order some takeout, but Kumar is tired of that. He wants something else, something that would make for a more substantial meal. Just then, a commercial for White Castle comes on TV, so the two decide to head out for some sliders.

The problem with this plan is that neither of them have been to White Castle in years, so they’re not really sure where the closest one is. Kumar remembers one being near a mall or something, but when they arrive, there’s a different burger joint there instead. The two friends debate for a minute about whether they should settle for these burgers or continue on to White Castle, and of course they decide to drive on.

The rest of the film then deals with the various misadventures that Harold and Kumar get into as their simple trip to White Castle turns into an all-night experience that they won’t soon forget.

My Reaction: I didn’t really have any expectations about what this film would be like, so I ended up not having a strong reaction to it one way or the other. There were some funny moments along the way, along with some dumb ones, and a few scenes that were downright inexplicable (like that whole thing about riding on a cheetah). At least the two main characters were likable, and, at just 88 minutes long from opening title to end credits, the film certainly didn’t overstay its welcome.

I have to say that I was disappointed with Neil Patrick Harris’ appearance here. I’d heard so many things about how funny he was, but I thought his scenes were boring. He’s 100 times funnier as Barney Stinson — though I did notice that he brought some of his mannerisms from this film to his role on HIMYM. That was interesting.

Overall, I thought Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle was a decent flick, and give it 3 stars out of 5. I’m not a stoner, so that’s my opinion after watching the movie while stone cold sober. Your mileage may vary depending on your, ahem, state of mind at the time of viewing!