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Under the category, why do some films have to be remade? The remake of Rollerball must regrettably be filed. In 1975, James Caan was riding high with Godfather. He chose to do the action-science fiction film Rollerball about a future where disputes are settled and audiences are given something to think about besides their mundane lives through a highly stylized game. Rollerball is a combination of motorcycle racing, line skating and roller-skating. The sport exists only on screen and won't be an Olympic sport within anyone's lifetime. Uniforms are glitzy, scars abound. But the violence escalated and soon death was a member of the team. Rollerball didn't do that well at the box office, but the film had its followers, this critic included. Caan gave the film added kick.

When remaking a film, one should have a leading man who can also offer kick, but Chris Klein (American Pie) can’t. The tough edge isn't there and he still makes you think he's someone's kid brother. From the opening scene of street luge racing through San Francisco to the rapid placement of the players in remote Kazakhstan, emphasis is on action, not characters. 

The story has LL Cool J meeting Klein through luge, then they are rollerball players abroad where the game is wildly popular to the delight of the team owner, Jean Reno. When violence brings a ratings rise, guess what happens next? The body count goes through the roof and the smell of manipulation is in the air. Klein fades into the background and Rollerball becomes a video game on the screen. It is gladiator time and players are playing for their lives. The flashiness of the arena is there and all that is missing is Russell Crowe and a shield. 

LL Cool J and Naveen Andrews (Reno's henchman) are the only actors to register positively. Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, as a teammate, reprises an action role (The X-Men) and Jean Reno is so over the top as Petrovich, the owner of the team, he might as well be in a silent film twirling a moustache. Editing is inconsistent.

The idea of violence in sports is certainly nothing new. No matter the sport, whether it is hockey, baseball, football, basketball, little league to adult versions of those games, deliberate injury occurs and betrayal is possible. To add interest, Rollerball pushes the story to the ridiculous. Once the teams are in Kazakhstan, they are trapped in the country and attempts to leave are thwarted, which brings in the obligatory tension of escape by the exploited. In this futuristic look, sports are big business and players are supposed to look the other way if anything is amiss. Who knows? In our future, there may come a time when there is a sports stock exchange and you can buy shares in Arctic Circle Hockey or Everest Bobsledding. Personally, I'd stay away from synchronized swimming in the Bermuda Triangle. 

Marie Asner Copyright 2002  2/20/2002