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By Times staff
© St. Petersburg Times, published February 7, 2002
Director Norman Jewison made the original Rollerball in 1975 when the idea of a bloodthirsty sport combining roller derby, motorcycles and a bludgeoning steel ball was considered science fiction. After the shenanigans of the WWF and the XFL, one wonders why uber-promoter Vince McMahon hasn't cranked up a rollerball league, too. For the kids, you know. The next best thing may be John McTiernan's remake of Rollerball, opening Friday. Chris Klein (American Pie) takes over James Caan's role as a rebellious athlete bucking the system, and that hardly seems like a fair swap. Jean Reno (Ronin) replaces the late John Houseman as an unscrupulous owner rigging games for maximum violence and, therefore, profits. LL Cool J co-stars as the obligatory sacrificial lamb. This time, women also get to play, led by Rebecca Romijn-Stamos (X-Men). Jewison's version warned of the dangers of the kind of sports entertainment fans enjoy today. We'll see if McTiernan's version has as much conscience, or if it's another part of the problem. Rollerball wasn't screened in time for Weekend review.