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Fair play to him, The Rock — or Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as he is billed here — is doing his best to avoid the usual action hero clichés. At this stage in his career, he should probably be emulating Arnold Schwarzenegger and Vin Diesel by appearing in some family-friendly action comedy. Instead, he’s starring in this gritty urban drama — based on a true story — as an idealistic youth probation officer and former American football player attempting to establish a “gridiron” team made up of inmates at a maximum-security detention centre. There’s an “against all odds” predictability in the way the story unfolds, but the action is skilfully directed by Phil Joanou. And while The Rock is effective enough playing the troubled kids’ mentor, his performance isn’t likely to win him any acting awards.
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