3 Reasons the Original "The Longest Yard" Is Better Than the Remake
Now it is no secret that the original "The Longest Yard", a classic sports comedy film, is superior to the Adam Sandler remake.
But what exactly makes the original so much better? Here are 3 reasons why- spoilers ahead, be warned.
1.
Burt Reynolds > Adam Sandler I am sorry Mr.
Sandler, but you just can't compete.
Burt Reynolds' portrayal of Paul Crewe is way out of your league.
He creates a character that is greasy yet so likeable with his one liners and witty comebacks, a character who gets beaten down but keeps on rising up.
He keeps his rebellious grin up even after being beaten down, and no matter what you throw at him, it will always be there.
Adam Sandler's portrayal of Paul Crewe is cocky where Reynolds is confident, over the top where Reynolds is strong, and overstated when Reynolds is understated.
In short, Sandler's acting chops slink under the bar in this one.
2.
The Humour In the original "The Longest Yard", plenty of the humour comes not only from Reynolds witty quips but also the realistic interactions between inmates and their peers and punishers, the guards.
In the remake, the humour is derived not so much from this as from cheap gags- of hormones to cause a guard to develop breasts, of inmates dressed as prostitutes.
The jokes are demeaning and do nothing to instill empathy in the population of the prison.
Where the original "The Longest Yard" treated the inmates as people, the remake treats them like animals in a zoo, to be mocked and played with for our amusement.
In the original we get a sense of empathy for the prisoners, but in the remake only laugh at their foibles.
3.
The final game There is not a doubt in my mind that the original game was better than in the final.
Why? Because it focused less on "Adam Sandler" and more on how the inmates deal with betrayal and hopelessness.
The scene which sticks in one's mind for the remake is a helmet-less Sandler making a valiant and heroic one man effort after his team has forsaken him.
In the original, we are left with a sense of teamwork and camaraderie.
Instead of one hero, we have a team of heroes.
In short, the original was the superior movie and the superior comedy.
Instead of going for cheap laughs, it treats its characters as people- and its viewers as intelligent.
But what exactly makes the original so much better? Here are 3 reasons why- spoilers ahead, be warned.
1.
Burt Reynolds > Adam Sandler I am sorry Mr.
Sandler, but you just can't compete.
Burt Reynolds' portrayal of Paul Crewe is way out of your league.
He creates a character that is greasy yet so likeable with his one liners and witty comebacks, a character who gets beaten down but keeps on rising up.
He keeps his rebellious grin up even after being beaten down, and no matter what you throw at him, it will always be there.
Adam Sandler's portrayal of Paul Crewe is cocky where Reynolds is confident, over the top where Reynolds is strong, and overstated when Reynolds is understated.
In short, Sandler's acting chops slink under the bar in this one.
2.
The Humour In the original "The Longest Yard", plenty of the humour comes not only from Reynolds witty quips but also the realistic interactions between inmates and their peers and punishers, the guards.
In the remake, the humour is derived not so much from this as from cheap gags- of hormones to cause a guard to develop breasts, of inmates dressed as prostitutes.
The jokes are demeaning and do nothing to instill empathy in the population of the prison.
Where the original "The Longest Yard" treated the inmates as people, the remake treats them like animals in a zoo, to be mocked and played with for our amusement.
In the original we get a sense of empathy for the prisoners, but in the remake only laugh at their foibles.
3.
The final game There is not a doubt in my mind that the original game was better than in the final.
Why? Because it focused less on "Adam Sandler" and more on how the inmates deal with betrayal and hopelessness.
The scene which sticks in one's mind for the remake is a helmet-less Sandler making a valiant and heroic one man effort after his team has forsaken him.
In the original, we are left with a sense of teamwork and camaraderie.
Instead of one hero, we have a team of heroes.
In short, the original was the superior movie and the superior comedy.
Instead of going for cheap laughs, it treats its characters as people- and its viewers as intelligent.