Parents' Guide to Mean Machine

Parents need to know that Mean Machine is a British sports-comedy about a group of incarcerated people—led by Danny Meehan (Vinnie Jones)—who take on a team of prison guards in a soccer match. It is a remake of The Longest Yard, of which there have been two versions. The movie's dark comic tone mixes strong violence, including punching, beatings, and threatening knife use. An explosion results in a character's death. The language is also strong with variations of "f--k," as well as "s--t," "d--khead," "bitch," and more. There are also instances of racist, homophobic, and ageist slurs. The prison's authority figures are shown to be corrupt and violent, not least the prison's governor, whose gambling addiction results in a highly-charged soccer match between the incarcerated people and prison guards. Drugs and sex are referenced rather than shown, but alcohol is drunk to excess—in one case in the form of prisoners' own illegal brew—and there is smoking. The movie's tone is ultimately redemptive, but not all characters show remorse.

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