AniInterview Sorry, this movie sucks

ChicRawIdol A brilliant film that helped define a genre

Aiden Melton The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Logan By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

zkonedog As a big sports fan (with football near the top of that list), I am usually a sucker for these kinds of movies. I can watch "We Are Marshall" at just about any time, I enjoyed every episode of "Friday Night Lights", and am easily "hooked in" by an inspiring sports tale. Unfortunately, I found "When The Game Stands Tall" to be a bit sup-par in the area of truly firing my emotions.For a basic plot summary, this movie tells the story of the De La Salle high school Spartans, who at one point in their history enjoyed a consecutive win streak of 151 games in their football program. But what happens when the cart ends up in front of the horse and the streak overshadows the true nature of high school football? That is the issue that Coach Bob Ladouceur (Jim Caviezel) wrestles with for nearly the entire film.For those who have not watched a ton of sports fiction, you may rate this better than I. It is an inspiring story, to be sure, and the film does a good job of "telling it straight". It covers all the right ground and hits all the notes that a film like this needs to do in order to be successful.The problem? Never once during "When The Game Stands Tall" did I truly feel emotionally invested in the proceedings. I think this was for a number of reasons, one of which simply being that I've seen better in other films/TV shows. There is nothing about "Game" that sets it above (or really even apart) from other fare besides the true story it is telling. Even the acting was a bit shaky for me. None of the players stood out, while Caviezel isn't given an opportunity to really emote. I know he CAN as I've seen him do it in other films, but I felt like this time he spoke in the same, measured voice he is known for and always had the same expression on his face. I wanted to like him more and get a better understanding of what "made him tic", but this movie would always seem to pull away and instead just skim the surface.Thus, "When The Game Stands Tall" ended up being a 2.5 star movie for me. I was really excited to see it going into the theater, but that excitement did not translate into the greatest movie experience. I can appreciate the story and why director Thomas Carter wanted to put it up on the big screen, but I wish I could have FELT more and THOUGHT less while I was watching.

Desertman84 When the Game Stands Tall is a sports drama about the record-setting 151-game winning streak by the football team of the De La Salle High School of Concord,California from 1992 to 2003.This is an adaptation of the 2003 book by the same title by Neil Hayes.It stars Jim Caviezel as Bob Ladouceur,coach of De La Salle, together with Laura Dern, Michael Chiklis,Terry Eidson and Alexander Ludwig. The story centers on the journey of Coach Bob Ladouceur.He took the coaching duties for De La Salle football team and took the Spartans from obscurity to a 151-game winning streak that shattered all records for any American sport. When the streak is broken, and tragedy strikes the team, Coach Lad must teach his players - and the entire town - that it's not about how you fall, but how you get back up.Too bad that the movie tried too much to be an inspirational movie.Unfortunately,it ended up into becoming an over-sentimental movie that the dramatic scenes fall flat and simply lack authenticity and realism.In addition to that, the characters are somewhat lacking despite having great actors involved like Jim Caviezel to provide emotional honesty to the character that he is portraying. Finally, the film is just full of sports clichés that one would feel bored by its lack of originality despite the fact that the story of De La Salle Spartans football team is interesting and compelling enough for the viewer.

Steve Pulaski When the Game Stands Tall accomplishes the rare feat of being a film one has the ability to instantly forget about upon seeing the film, unless, unlike myself and a good portion of others, they haven't been exposed to a plethora of sports films and sees the majority of them as films ripe with clichés and conventions. When the Game Stands Tall markets its emphasis on brotherhood, courage, and a faith-based angle as points of subversion, when most people know that these elements exist in other sports films, and the good ones wisely don't need to hamfist their points and remind you at every turn.The film follows the football program at De La Salle High School in Concord, California, which is world-famous for maintaining an unprecedented 151-game winning streak, shredding the school record and all other national records before it. The movie focuses on the most interesting part of this football program, which is not games one through one-hundred and fifty-one, but game number one-hundred and fifty-two, an indescribably painful experience for everyone involved. How does a team carry on and maintain composure after knowing they tarnished their school's prized record with a tragic loss.Well, as When the Game Stands Tall depicts it, through the regurgitation of empty buzzwords and heavy-handed exchanges about brotherhood and bonding in ways that make Full House lectures seem subversive. In addition to following the football team players, which seem like nothing more than a plethora of caricatures, we take a look at the team's coaching staff, particularly head coach Bob Ladouceur (The Passion of the Christ's Jim Caviezel) and his relationship with the team. Following a heart attack, Ladouceur steps down from coaching, temporarily putting Terry Edison (Michael Chiklis) as the head coach of De La Salle, and following the devastating loss, tries to help them regain composure as a team and a brotherhood. Furthermore, Ladouceur's time off gives him an opportunity at trying to connect with his son Michael (Gavin Casalegno), who sees this as a too-little-too-late opportunity when all he has been to him during the last few years is a coach rather than a father figure.Had writer Scott Marshall Smith not blanketed De La Salle's monumental achievement and true impact on high school football with sensationalism and generalizations instead of humor emotions, When the Game Stands Tall could've went somewhere interesting and provided for a human look at the players on the team. Instead, we get a film that desperately panders to the crowd that wants to see some good-natured behavior on screen in the most superficial form, and annoyingly tacking on faith-based elements in what seems to be a last minute nod to the high school's Christian roots. The sole moments the film feels authentic and intriguing is when we see an demanding and dictating father trying to push his son into living the life he wants him to live rather than the life his son wants himself to lead, which provides for some solid, believable drama that isn't depicted in films nearly enough. However, those moments are few and far between, intermixed with redundant motivational speeches and sensational football footage.When the Game Stands Tall is a film so deeply-rooted in buzzwords, cherry picked one-liners, and moralizing, it essentially forgets its message and scrambles to create meaning and inspire by dropping words like "courage," "commitment," "sacrifice," and "brotherhood" in a pathetically empty manner, making this one of the coldest films of the year with some of the warmest ideas.Starring: Jim Caviezel, Michael Chiklis, Laura Dern, Alexander Ludwig, Gavin Casalegno, and Clancy Brown. Directed by: Thomas Carter.

bob-rutzel-1 This was inspired by a true story.California High School football coach Bob Ladouceur (Jim Caviezel) takes the De La Salle high school to 151 straight victories. This movie starts when the streak is broken and how everyone handles it. This is one of those movies that gets better and better as it goes along. Bob Ladouceur insists that it not about scoring touchdowns and winning. But he has a method of teaching that actually insures that scoring touchdowns and winning will result. He says his main goal is to prepare his young players to be able to handle life after school so whatever happens, they can be counted on. Simply said, it works. Because of his belief in how he teaches and what he believes, he turns down offers to coach college football. This is well acted all around and the hard-hitting (ouch, ouch, ouch) scenes on the football field appear to be quite real (Hey, Bob, it's movie magic). Well, I hope so, but I checked with my doctor anyway. So far he says I am good to watch more of these hits. Ouch!The father of the Quarterback wants his son to achieve the record for the most touchdowns in High School competition nationwide. And, it is here the ending is nothing short of Pure Gold. You will be touched. Also, you will understand why the title is perfect. (7/10)Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: No.