Rollerball (2002)

Yet another pointless hack job of a "remake". What they did to the "plot" is simple inexcusable. The original is a classic that successfully incorporates adrenaline pumping violence and competition, social and political commentary, and ultimately the indomitable will of one man (and by proxy, mankind).The remake is "Oh, look! LL Cool J on a bike! WHEEEEEEE! VROOM VROOM!".

At first Roller Ball seemed like a super-violent grudge and sports movie, and nothing more. Just violence, a little sex and no redeeming value. At times I thought it was designed to invoke rage for rage's sake, with the dreaded other. Well, I watched it to the end and I think it is worth watching. If you like heavy metal music, like tough sports and don't mind some violence you'll like the movieRoller Ball is a parable for much of modern life, from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan to professional sports. From police brutality to labor exploitation. Yes there is something more, it isn't pretty, its wonderful. It seems designed to reach an audience with a message that probably wouldn't be open to it otherwise. The audience that might most gravitate to the message, isn't the one that will watch the movie to the end because it is harsh. In its own way it might even be considered uplifting.

Well, it's not as easy as it seems. First you need a good story. To spoil. Then you need a miscast. Forgettable, in every way, the guy in the main role, who's supposed to be a tough roller-ball player.Director misses the point all the time. Here, an accent should be on a metaphor for totalitarian society, benumbed with all the luxuries of the world, convinced that each individualistic attempt is doomed from the start. Here we have a different case - a metaphor, a pure object, a motive became a story itself. With none of 1960's, 1970's, politically awake attitudes, everything became cheap fun or even cheaper boredom.An interesting datum: a character nicknamed ,,The Assassin''(a Russian) speaks somewhat fluent serbocroatian ,,Ostavi to, ti budalo'' /Live that, you fool/ (in Russian a fool is said ,,durak''), so as the central Asian, Caucasian miner (at least he understands it)at the end of movie. The same miner works at the same time in Kazakhstan and Mongolia. Also, if you never knew - central and east Asia are inhabited with loads of African Americans. And America's everywhere.

Fanboys, enough already! Its a really good action flick...This is where the fan boys get stuck at, "oh no! not a remake of my favorite movie of all time!". Does that mean the "favorite of all time" always makes the remake the "worse of all time", i say no, not at all. So don't be fooled by all the negative comments by those fan boys, because it doesn't give justice to this very well done, fast pace action pack movie.OK, i have to admit i'm a fan of the original and thats what attracted me to see this movie. Although at first i was a bit shocked by the flagrant differences with the original, i've then decided to let that fact go and just let the movie drive me, and you know what, it did his job, which is to entertain me. Yes, the plot, if we can called it that, is somewhat nonexistent, and the script doesn't deliver any memorable moments, because it was intended that way, its typical with all action flicks. I was happy i give this movie a chance with an open mind(keep in mind its an action flick though). Considering all the facts, my final note: 6.5 In conclusion, i hope you'll give this movie a chance, just forget about the original, watch it purely for the action and you won't regret it.