MYST Post #2 Quarter 4: Gridiron Gang

Yesterday I watched Gridiron Gang, a sports drama out of the year 2006. It is directed by Phil Joanou, and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Xzibit are starring in it.

Gridiron Gang is about Sean Porter, played by 'The Rock', who is working at Kilpatrick Detention Center, a juvenile detention center in Los Angeles. Because he wants the kids get away from their life before they got into the detention center, which included violence, gangs and drug dealing, he forms a football team. Sean forms this team, so the kids feel like they are a part of something, and learn how to be responsible, team-minded, mature but also to feel like winners.

After the first game and their first defeat against the best team in the league, they learn how to play as a team, which is a big success. From time to time, the so called Kilpatrick Mustangs, win more and more games and get into the playoffs. Out of gang rivalry and a dangerous life arises friendship and the chance of a better life after Kilpatrick Detention Camp.

The cast for this movie is in my opinion really great. The cast includes Dwayne Johnson and Xzibit, but mostly more unknown Actors.

Especially the choice of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson was good. Most of the movies I know of him are some action movies, like Fast & Furious or G.I. Joe, and I was really surprised how good he is in a movie like Gridiron Gang. He had a pretty difficult role, because he had to play the tough football coach who has to take of the teenagers in detention who are violent, but at the same time he is a normal guy with emotions because of his dying mom and the success of the Mustangs. He brings up his speeches as a coach very good.

In some scenes I realized a very gold-ish look when the shot was filmed against the sun. After I thought about it a little more, I realized that this gold-ish look was mostly used after the team achieves something. It seems like this is more like a medal which they get for each of their achievements. For example it is used, after Kelvin and Willie break the first time their gang rivalry and see each other as a team member and not as rival.

I think the scene when Kelvin gets shot by a gang member of Willies gang is appropriate as a key scene. After the game is over and the team won, Free, a member of Willie's gang is coming on the field and starts an conflict with Kelvin, a team member of Willie but now a friend. He shots him in the shoulder, but before he can shot Kelvin in his head, Willie tackles him down to save Kelvin. Free runs away, but gets shot by police officers.

Before Kelvin gets shot you can see Willie Weathers point of view, with all the player walking between him and Free. The pacing of the cuts I pretty fast, what causes the panic in this scene. Besides the pacing of the shots, the music builds a little tension too.

I give this movie 9 out of 10 possible points