'Rollerball? goes on short list of 'guilty pleasures?

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"Rollerball"|ret||ret||tab|

Directed By: John McTiernan|ret||ret||tab|

Starring: Jean Reno, Chris Klein, L L Cool J, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos|ret||ret||tab|

Rated: PG-13|ret||ret||tab|

I'm going to go immediately out on a limb here and admit despite what nearly every critic is saying about John Mc-Tiernan's remake of "Rollerball" I loved every second of it. |ret||ret||tab|

Action movies are not usually my favorite kind of film, so maybe I was just in the right mood. But besides the nonstop visual treat, the cynical social satire really made me laugh. McTiernan, director of the "Die Hard" films, has arranged a dizzying display that reminded me of being on a ride at the fair. It doesn't stop you might think you wish it would but in reality you're having the time of your life. |ret||ret||tab|

And who cares if you never quite un-derstand the rules of the game or how it's played? |ret||ret||tab|

The plot in McTiernan's remake is es-sentially the same as the one in Norman Jewison's 1975 original: In a not too distant future, sport has become bloodlust, and greed is the order of the day. |ret||ret||tab|

Chris Klein, star of the teen comedy "American Pie," plays the lead role of Jonathan Cross, a high-energy kid who gets in trouble with the law after repeatedly enjoying his favorite sport skateboarding on his back through the busy streets of San Francisco. |ret||ret||tab|

He loses his bid as a National Hockey League draft pick and finds himself signing up for rollerball, a sport that's a cross between pinball, motocross cycle racing and roller derby. The entire sport is the brainchild of a guy named Pet-rovich (Jean Reno) and is currently only legal to be played in the country of Kazakhstan, although it has become a worldwide hit on cable TV. As far as organization goes, rollerball seems to be a lot like the WWF or some of the minor league baseball organizations. It's a "company" more than a "league," and it's controlled entirely by one man Petrovich who can do anything he likes with the players. What he likes best is good ratings, and he notices that as things get increasingly more violent, the ratings go up. |ret||ret||tab|

Jonathan, being a young hotshot with the looks of Keanu Reeves, proves to be an audience favorite, as does his best buddy Ridley (LL Cool J). Petrovich loves them, but as things get more and more money- and violence- oriented, he realizes how he can make his biggest profit.|ret||ret||tab|

The players themselves realize it, too, and something of a rebellion begins to take shape. This is when things start to get really nasty.|ret||ret||tab|

Stupid? Yes. |ret||ret||tab|

Histrionic? Without a doubt. |ret||ret||tab|

Oscar material? Need you ask?|ret||ret||tab|

But if you think the "chase scene" has no new twists to offer, McTiernan will give you a big surprise.|ret||ret||tab|

"Rollerball" is going down on my list of "guilty pleasures," and to tell you the truth, I'll be the first in line when the DVD hits the market. |ret||ret||tab|

The original is already out, and I managed to get it immediately after coming from the screening of this new version. It's not as visually dazzling, but the story is somewhat more cohesive. |ret||ret||tab|

Knowing the original film is probably essential to enjoying McTiernan's version. |ret||ret||tab|

McTiernan, in a weird twist even for Hollywood, has remade two of Norman Jewison's films, the first being "The Thomas Crowne Affair" and now "Rol-lerball." |ret||ret||tab|

Who knows, maybe next time out he'll tackle something like "Fiddler on the Roof" or "Agnes of God."|ret||ret||tab|

(Jim Wunderle works at Associated Video Producers and is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician.)[[In-content Ad]]