The Longest Yard – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

The Longest Yard

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2005

32%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Adam Sandler's prison football remake: crude, dated, and pushing PG-13 past its breaking point.

6.4/10

31%

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The Longest Yard

movie

PG-13, 2005

32%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Adam Sandler's prison football remake: crude, dated, and pushing PG-13 past its breaking point.

6.4

31%

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6.4/10

31%

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Screenwise Verdict

This is peak mid-2000s Adam Sandler: a lazy remake that coasts on slapstick violence, crude jokes, and his comedy buddies doing bits. The 31% critic score tells you everything—it's not clever, not original, and honestly hasn't aged well.

The real issue is the language. Parent reviews consistently flag the N-word and homophobic slurs as deal-breakers, and they're right. This isn't edgy comedy; it's just offensive in ways that feel dated and gross in 2025. If your teen wants to watch it, fine, but be ready for a conversation about why certain jokes don't fly anymore.

The actual football stuff is forgettable, the plot is paint-by-numbers, and the 'heart' is buried under so many fart jokes you'll never find it. There are dozens of better sports movies (Remember the Titans, The Sandlot, even Dodgeball) that deliver underdog stories without the problematic baggage. Skip this one unless you're specifically studying the evolution of comedy or your teen is a die-hard Sandler completist.

Age Fit

Common Sense Media says 14+, and that feels right—maybe 13 for mature teens who can handle problematic language and discuss why it's problematic. This is not a family movie night pick unless your family is very comfortable with crude humor and using it as a teaching moment.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Adam Sandler comedy that pushes PG-13 hard with crude language (including one F-bomb), racial slurs (N-word), homophobic jokes, and prison stereotypes played for laughs. The underdog sports story has some teamwork moments, but they're buried under crass humor and mean-spirited gags. Not modeling much kindness or cooperation—mostly modeling how to get cheap laughs from stereotypes.

Imaginative

A remake of a 1974 film with zero originality—paint-by-numbers sports comedy formula. Inmates vs. guards football game is the entire creative premise, executed with all the imagination of a direct-to-video sequel. No world-building, no creative spark, just Adam Sandler doing his mid-2000s schtick in a prison setting.

Safe

Common Sense Media flags this as pushing the PG-13 edge hard. Contains one F-word, multiple uses of racial slurs including the N-word, homophobic language, prison violence (though comedic), and crude sexual references. Parent reviews confirm it's 'only recommended for older teens.' The violence isn't graphic but it's constant, and the language is genuinely problematic—not just 'edgy,' but actually offensive in ways that haven't aged well.

Enriching

Minimal takeaways beyond 'underdogs can win.' No real character development, no meaningful exploration of prison reform or redemption. It's a vehicle for Sandler's comedy buddies to do bits. The 31% Rotten Tomatoes critic score and 48 Metacritic reflect that this is disposable entertainment. Some kids found it 'SUPER FUNNY' but that's not the same as enriching.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Classic underdog sports story—inmates forming a team to take on corrupt guards has built-in appeal
Some kids genuinely find the slapstick football violence hilarious (if you're okay with that humor style)
Short enough (under 2 hours) that it doesn't overstay its welcome
Could spark conversations about stereotypes, prison system, and what makes comedy 'funny' vs. offensive

⚠

What to Watch For

Racial slurs including the N-word—multiple parent reviews flag this as the main concern
Homophobic jokes and prison rape references played for laughs (yes, really)
One F-bomb plus constant crude language and sexual innuendo
Prison violence that's comedic but relentless—not graphic but constant hitting, tackling, cheap shots
Mid-2000s Sandler humor that hasn't aged well—lots of mean-spirited stereotypes

Conversation Starters

"Why do you think they used the N-word in this movie? Did it make you uncomfortable?"
"What makes a joke funny versus offensive? Where's the line?"
"Do you think the movie showed prison realistically, or was it just making fun of stereotypes?"
"Would you want to be on a team with people who treat each other like this?"

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