Mean Machine (2001)

Director:

Barry Skolnick

Writers (WGA):

Tracy Keenan Wynn (earlier screenplay "The Longest Yard")
Charlie Fletcher (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

26 December 2001 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Sport

Tagline:

Not Your Usual Suspects

Plot:

A soccer star jailed for assault leads a group of inmates in a match against prison guards.

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Prison Guard | Soccer Star | Soccer | Inmate

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Vinnie Jones	...	Danny Meehan
David Kelly	...	Doc
David Hemmings	...	Governor
Ralph Brown	...	Burton
Vas Blackwood	...	Massive
Robbie Gee	...	Trojan
Geoff Bell	...	Ratchett
John Forgeham	...	Charlie Sykes
Sally Phillips	...	Tracey
Danny Dyer	...	Billy the Limpet
Jason Flemyng	...	Bob Likely
Jason Statham	...	Monk
Martin Wimbush	...	Z
David Reid	...	Barman
David Cropman	...	Second Barman

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some violence.

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Germany:12 | Netherlands:16 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | Singapore:PG (cut) | Norway:15

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

At the end of the movie the match commentators give the following speech: "Guards of Pentonville, guards of Wandsworth, Walton nick in Liverpool, policemen of Britain, traffic wardens and parole officers, wheel clampers, your boys have taken a hell of a beating today! A hell of a beating!" This speech is a direct reference to Norwegian sports commentator Bjørge Lillelien who made British headlines, when in 1981, Norway beat England during the 1982 World Cup qualifiers and he gave the following emotional response: "[In Norwegian] We are the best in the world! We are the best in the world! We have beaten England 2-1 at football! It is totally incredible! We have beaten England! England, home of giants: Looooord Nelson, Looooord Beaverbrook, Sir Winston Churchill, Anthony Eden, Clement Attlee, Henry Cooper, Lady Diana. We have beaten them all, we have beaten them all! [In English] Maggie Thatcher, can you hear me? [In Norwegian] Maggie Thatcher, I have a message to you during the election: We have beaten England out of the World Championship in football! Maggie Thatcher, as they say in your language in the boxing-bars around Madison Square Garden: [in English] Your boys took a hell of a beating! Your boys took a hell of a beating!" However, despite the loss, England continued on to qualify for the World Cup finals, while Norway did not.

Goofs:

Continuity: In two scenes immediately before he is asked by Danny, whether he wants to play with them, the monk can be seen participating in the training.

Quotes:

Danny Meehan: Oh right lads, you wanna be nothing, prisoners... numbers... that's fine But you win out there today and you'll have something to remember forever, talk about it over and over, because up and down the country there are cons that are pig sick of not being here in your shoes... just to have one crack at those bastards next door!
Danny Meehan: Run your guts out, and you'll have somethin' in 'ere
[points towards heart]
Danny Meehan: they can never touch, guards and nutcase governors... NOW... ask yourselves one question... ARE YOU READY?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in She's the Man (2006)

Soundtrack:

You're Driving Me Crazy

Rage Against The Machine

Based on Keenan Wynn's 'The Longest Yard', Fletcher adds Brit wit to the screenplay as Skolnick directs a splendid film. Of course the story isn't anything new (like most sports flicks) but the humour brings out the charm. The characters are fun to watch and funnily enough the actors have famously starred in Guy Ritchie films. It's as if they were in prison for the crimes they committed in those films. But, just to avoid any misconception, this isn't a crime-flick and it's very different from the Ritchie films, both in style and content. One doesn't have to be a football fan to enjoy it as the entertainment value is universal. The football match sequence was hilarious and if only the real matches were half entertaining! All the actors do a fine job but it is Vinnie Jones who carries the movie and it's nice to see him as a guy who gets beaten up in comparison to the tough guy roles he's typecast in. Overall, this is a fun little film, not one to be taken too seriously.