If you like football comedies, chances are you've already seen this. The Replacements stars Keanu Reeves as Shane Falco, a former all-star college quarterback who dropped off the radar after a disastrous game. Gene Hackman plays Jimmy McGinty, a semi-retired football coach known for being an out-of-the-box thinker. When major league (fictional) team the Washington (DC not the state) Sentinels go on strike, the team's owner hires McGinty to put together a team of replacement players. McGinty taps Falco along with an eclectic group including: a Sumo wrestler, a gung ho military cop, a running back who runs like the wind but fumbles the ball, a debauched Welsh footballer, a super-talented player who only missed out on the majors on account of being deaf, brothers who dropped out of the majors when the league tried to split them up on separate teams, a maximum security prisoner given temporary reprieve by the governor, and Faizon Love. Then there are the cheerleaders, who apparently walked too (that part is never fully explained but this movie is too charmingly silly to take it to task). Brooke Langton plays Annabelle, the head cheerleader who grows increasingly fed up by the audition montage. When a pair of exotic dancers show up who act like they know what they're doing she decides to just hire them and all their coworkers, to results that contribute to one of the funniest scenes in the movie. This movie opens on an upbeat late 90's era alterna-pop song, and that mood never truly wavers, although there is an underlying poignancy to the story as it plays out. I won't spoil the ending but I will say it's uplifting but not over the top. Definitely worth checking out if you like sports comedies.

Hey, any movie made is a major undertaking - lots of people putting their heart into the process - so it always gets me when I don’t like a film. I want to so much, just for their efforts. And in the end, The Replacements is one of those films I wanted to like more, but couldn’t. Hey, it’s decent, and with two headliners like Gene Hackman and Keanu Reeves, I expected to love it - at least they were great. But in the end, what I didn’t like (and frankly, it’s what a lot of other people will love about it) is the stop and starting internet between the (irony) heart of the movie and over the top joking. For my taste the movie makers couldn’t fully commit to the genuine heart that was present and kept cutting to over the top characters (that could have had more depth) and tiny-clad cheerleaders who had little to nothing to do with the actual story. Great for cheap laughs and appealing to their young male demographic, but they lost something even those young guys could have enjoyed. This middle age guy can appreciate what they were going for, but it was clumsy and took away from what was going on every time they were making it work, so it lost me and my wife.

Apparently it’s based on a real situation back in the day (I think 80s - my wife looked it up) when players went on strike. Replacements are brought in and while most coaches went with guys who were closer to actual active players, this coach (played very well by Hackman) went another way, bringing in guys who... would never make it in reality. Hence the over the top characters. It might have been cool if they’d even had these guys, but not so over the top... again, it felt like they couldn’t decide if this was a RomCom, comedy, or dramade and in the end, the hodgepodge missed the mark for us. Anyway... Reeves too is good as the QB who didn’t make it beyond a rough bowl game (that came up a lot) and yet here he’s got the age and the confidence and maturity that come along with it. These guys bond, pull together, and...

The bad guys are spoiled brat NFL players. The owner should just stay out of it. The cheerleaders... what was the point? But in the end, Reeves and Hackman are the reason to watch. It wasn’t great, but it was a lot of creative people who came together to tell a story and for that, we give it 4 stars.

Such a great high energy, heart warming, comedy. Truly a rare Must See.
Happily paid to own this but, if you've never seen it, please watch it just once.
I love football. Even if you don't, the characters in this underrated movie are Gold.
You think it's going to be a Keanu anchored movie but that's Gene Hackman's role.

It's an 'Oceans 11' type Ensemble that Keanu blends into like Brad Pitt.
With Orlando Jones, the band leader in 'Drumline' & guy selling magazines in 'Office Space'.
Jon Favreau, from my personal fave 'Love & Sex' (free on Prime/Tubi right now) but,
better known from 'Swingers', 'Four Christmases' and most Vince Vaughn movies.
Faison Love, of 'Friday' Fame & also 'Couples Retreat' with Favreau.
And a bunch of people you'll see & go "Oh, I know them!"
Plus a bunch more you've never seen that you want to cheer for & laugh with.

Just to watch a bunch of grown men do the Electric Slide to 'I Will Survive' in jail cell is worth it.

But mostly, you'll just laugh out loud at these "misfits" based on true story of
the time there was a strike & forgotten players got a second chance.

I don't have a lot of interest in sports but I watched this movie when it was released to theaters and now I have streamed it via Amazon Prime. Even those only mildly interested in football ought to be able to enjoy this great feel good movie about second chances. Somewhat predictable but who wants to watch a movie in which the people with second chances lose? One of the best of its type.

I'm not a big fan of sports, and definitely give most sports related movies a pass, unlike my wife who loves both (and especially football). This movie, to quote a line "has heart". Keanu Reeves plays Shane Falco, a washed up professional quarterback who gets a chance to play again when the professional football players strike. Here, he actually shows a bit of acting ability, unlike his earlier efforts (Bill & Ted, for example, or even the Matrix). The supporting cast, from Orlando Jones to Jon Favreau, Rhys Ifans, and the great Gene Hackman, all come together to really make this movie a lot of fun. Don't go into it expecting Remember the Titans, but more .....Bad News Bears.

The plot is Washington going on strike a few games from the playoffs. A grizzled coach and replacement players attempt to take the team to the playoffs. Getting from A to Z is so much fun. Keanu Reeves, a quarterback who once lost a game in front of the entire world and no one forgot, leads a great hilarious cast. I don’t care for football or comedy, yet I see this film once yearly.

The Replacements is just one of those fun movies you can watch over and over again, and never get tired of. I've always loved Gene Hackman and feel he's one of the most underrated actors. He's great in this movie, as is the rest of the cast. A great movie with a minor cult following.

Nobody's a bigger Keanu Reeves fan than me and this is Keanu at his best! I already owned this movie and watch it every time it's on television. I keep my niece's kids while she works on weekends and her eleven year old son plays football. I thought he might like it so we sat up late one Saturday night and watched it. He loved it too. For him, it rated right up there with "The Matrix" so I bought it for him for Christmas. He was thrilled!

Keanu Reeves plays Shane Falco, a former college football player who lost a bowl game because he froze up. When the regular football players went on stike, replacement players were brought in to finish the season. Reeves plays the quarterback and Gene Hackman is the coach. The replacement players consist of a swat team member, a convict, a former soccer player turned pub owner and a sumo wrestler, among others. Although the games are serious, there's also romance between Falco and Annabell, the head cheerleader. There are alot of really funny scenes and some great music. I ran across this movie by channel surfing one night and stopped to watch it because, believe it or not, I though Keanu Reeves was really cute but I didn't have any idea who he was. I started watching and liked the movie. It was on several times that weekend and I watched it every time. I've probably seen it about twenty times and I'll keep watching it. I highly recommend it. It's serious and light-hearted and I think it'll appeal to anyone, even those who aren't football fans.