“Gridiron Gang” (Sony Pictures)
Bye Bye Wrestling, Hello Hollywood
Get out of the way Arnold, Jean Claude, Steven and all other action heroes – “The Rock” is on a roll. With his latest film “Gridiron Gang” he moves from being a wrestler who sometimes acts to an actor who once wrestled. This new movie gives Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson clout as an actor, and a wise chooser of scripts. This time his mind and his emotions are just as important as his brawn and his biceps.
Johnson plays Sean Porter, a real life individual who works with troubled kids in the Los Angeles area. He is a counselor at a correctional facility for teenage boys and tries his hardest to reach these kids and get them back on the straight and narrow path. So far his efforts have not had too much success as his return rate to the facility (or to the morgue) is about 75%.
Porter comes up with the idea of starting a football team. He meets opposition at every turn from his superiors as well as the coaches at other schools in the area. Still Porter is persistent and eventually gets his team and his season.
The fact this is a true story gives it enormous weight. Some of the things that are said and done in the movie appear to be “Hollywoodizing” of the story. However if you stay through the credits at the end of the film you will see scenes from a documentary made about this coach and his players, and some of those same elements are there as fact.
Johnson is excellent as Porter. He not only gives him the determination and grit he surely possesses, he also gives him the emotion that is necessary in order to have a complete picture of the man. It is a definitive performance and should be the role that makes Hollywood sit up and take notice of Johnson as an actor.
All of the young actors who play the “members of the team” are also good. They are largely unknown so they have the luxury of becoming their characters in the audiences’ minds. Xzibit makes an impression as Porter’s assistant coach.
The film is rated PG-13 for profanity and violence.
“Gridiron Gang” is definitely a “rah-rah” movie, and what’s wrong with that. It tells a story about modern day heroes who actually make a difference in young people’s lives. If anything we need more stories like this one.
If you want to be touched, energized and entertained then go to see “Gridiron Gang.” It is based on a true story so you can’t just say this is Hollywood talking. These people and these events did take place.
“The Rock” is on a roll so get out of his way and just sit back and watch the film that will change his career. Go see “Gridiron Gang.”
I scored “Gridiron Gang” a fighting 8 out of 10.
