Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4231 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-06-04
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Dubbed, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Polish, Romanian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish
• Dubbed in: Italian, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 113 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The opening scenes of The Replacements see American football team, the Washington Sentinels, in dire straits. The players have walked out in a protest over pay at a vital point in the season, forcing the Sentinels' owner to bring veteran coach Jimmy McGinty (Gene Hackman) out of retirement to put together a replacement team. He assembles a group of oddballs and misfits including failed quarterback Shane Falco (Keanu Reeves), a boozing Welsh brawler (Rhys Ifans), a convicted former football pro, a deaf mute, a psychopathic ex-cop, a sumo wrestler and a kleptomaniac (Orlando Jones) who has trouble catching the ball. It is Falco's job to pull the team together and overcome his own problems to take the Sentinels to the playoffs. Howard Deutch (Pretty in Pink, Grumpier Old Men) directs this variation on a losers-make-good storyline that runs like Police Academy on the playing field. Keanu plays the Steve Guttenberg role. Sandra Bullock clone Brooke Langton provides the all-too-predictable cheerleading love interest, while Rhys Ifans delivers light relief as the team's chain-smoking kicker.

On the DVD: The main feature is presented in letterboxed widescreen format with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound in three languages (English, Spanish and Italian). There are optional subtitles in 20 different languages. Interactive menus are slickly designed like the yard markings on an American football field and provide access to a range of special features. As well as a theatrical trailer and commentary by director Howard Deutch, there is a 15-minute HBO special "The Making of the Replacements" hosted by Orlando Jones and a 10-minute "Actors Guide to Football" which provides a detailed look at the way the entirely authentic football sequences were planned and filmed. --Chris Campion

Video Description
DVD Special Features:

Audio Commentary with Director Howard Deutch
The Making of The Replacements
"Making The Plays: An Actor's Guide To Football"
Interactive Menus
Scene Access
Trailer
Languages: English, Spanish, Italian Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Portuguese, Hebrew, Polish, Greek, Czech, Turkish, Hungarian, Croatian, Arabic, Romanian, Bulgarian, English for the hearing impaired, Italian for the hearing impaired.

Synopsis
Inspired by the too-ludicrous-to-be-believed National Football League strike of 1987, Howard Deutch's THE REPLACEMENTS follows a team of scab players as they fill in for the real pros. Jimmy McGinty (Gene Hackman), a compassionate and dedicated coach, is rehired by the owner of the Washington Sentinels to pull together a new crew in order to finish off the season and keep the stadium filled. This includes a safety who is on work release, a lightning-quick wide receiver with bricks for hands, a deranged linebacker-SWAT team member, a chain-smoking Welsh kicker, and Shane Falco (Keanu Reeves), a former college quarterback who lost his chance at the big time after a disastrous Sugar Bowl appearance. The newly formed squad must learn to set aside its differences if it is to win three out of four games and make it to the playoffs. Along the way, Falco finds himself harassed by the Sentinels' star quarterback, Eddie Martel, as well as falling in love with the team's head cheerleader, Annabelle (Brooke Langton). A final showdown against the strike-breaking reigning champions gives McGinty and Falco one last chance at redemption. Deutch's lighthearted comedy is greatly aided by Hackman and Reeves's surprisingly sincere performances.

Customer Reviews

Truely inspiring performance
I had never heard of this film before I purchased it. I was not sure what to expect from this, would have to say I was more than pleasantly suprised. This movie is meant to be set in the 80's when the professional footballers went on strike and they had to get in REPLACEMENTS. Well this movie is truely a hidden gem. From the hiring of the chearleaders to where they get the replacements from this will have yourself laughing from start to finish. The team building skills are a little unotherdox but works.

Buy this you will not regret it

Enjoyable American Football movie for all ages
This is a typical American feelgood type film (apparently based on a real incident in the 1970s). It stars Keanu Reeves as a retired pro and Gene Hackman as a retired coach, both of whom are cajoled into action. Brooke Langton provides Keanu's love interest and Brits will recognise Rhys Ifans from "Notting Hill".
This film is good fun even if you've never seen American Football - you don't need to understand the rules to follow the plot. It appeals to all age groups (including my 80 year old father). The accompanying soundtrack is a mixture of 70s classics (Queen, Gary Glitter, Rolling Stones) and rap.
All-in-all, highly recommended.

Absolutely great
I bought this DVD not knowing much about it but as Keanu was in it I thought give it a go. It was great, I watched it 3 times straight off and several times since. Plenty of action, laughs, great music from Rolling Stones and more. I know nothing about American Football but you don't need to understand the rules or enjoy the game to love this. I have leant or promised it to several friends, this is a great feelgood movie and when the credits roll you will have an enormous smile on your face and probably press replay as I did. I would give it 6 stars if I could.