A few thoughts: A disappointingly straight-laced dystopian sports drama, Rollerball is neither wild enough to be funny, nor dramatic enough to be taken completely seriously. Since this film came out the same year as 'Death Race 2000' (a longtime favorite of mine), I was expecting a similarly crazy experience, so that probably affected my opinion. I enjoyed the action scenes, shot skillfully around a bloody and incredibly violent sport, and while James Caan does a great job with the dramatic material, at over 2 hours long the movie does wind up wearing itself out. Focusing on the political side of a future centered around this sport, the satirical elements are often quite dry, letting the violence speak for itself. Sadly, even though a good deal of this movie works, it needed about 30 minutes cut from the final product, and was in desperate need of some genuine laughs. Satire and social commentary of this variety often works better when it's presented comedically, but itwas still a solid movie with some good acting.
Fans of social/political commentary, dystopians, and unconventional sports dramas. Sort of like 'Death Race 2000' mixed with 'Salute Of The Jugger'.
My grade: C-
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