I' ve seldom been a great fan of "guy movie" kinds of comedies (the "rowdy" kind), but even I have an idea of "good" vs. "bad" vs. "merely okay" ones. Maybe I'm in the minority, but I think of this one in that third category. In spite of the main actors, and all the great supporting ones. One thing that's always bothered me about it - I think the Ed Lauter character should' ve been a GENERAL "vicious guard" (if that phrase makes any sense), instead of one who actually murders a prisoner (wasn't he the one who did that?). That way, when he gives that disgusted look at Eddie Albert's character at the end, it could almost be thought of as some new-found sympathy for the Reynolds character (at least, compared to Albert's). One lopsided reason I have for liking this one is the actress Anitra Ford (one of the "Price Is Right" models for some time) at the beginning. I always wish, along with that five-minute scene, there had been some kind of "backstory" for her character and Reynolds', showing how he became this "kept man." That's another thing - even though he's pictured as a "jerk" during this first part, the looks she gives, and the way she talks, make her a sort of over-the-top "harpy", making it seem like there's no "good guy" in this fight. Maybe a backhanded compliment, but she's very convincing that way, in just a few minutes.
Review of The Longest Yard
