Mean Machine

Plot

A soccer star jailed for assault leads a group of inmates in a match against prison guards.

Release Year: 2001

Rating: 6.3/10 (16,759 voted)

Critic's Score: 45/100

Director:
Barry Skolnick

Stars: Vinnie Jones, David Kelly, David Hemmings

Storyline
Disgraced ex-England captain (Danny 'Mean Machine' Meehan) is thrown in jail for assaulting two police officers. Whilst in jail, he doesn't recieve any favours because of his celebrity status in the outside world. He is out numbered and many prisoners constantly barrage him with insults for letting down his country in a crucial World Cup game. He keeps his head down and has the opportunity to forget everything and change the lives of the prisoners. These prisoners have the chance to put one over the evil guards. The prisoners are lead by Danny and the whole of the prison, guards aside, are behind them. Game on……

Writers: Tracy Keenan Wynn, Charlie Fletcher

Cast:

Vinnie Jones
–

Danny Meehan

David Kelly
–

Doc

David Hemmings
–

Governor

Ralph Brown
–

Burton

Vas Blackwood
–

Massive

Robbie Gee
–

Trojan

Geoff Bell
–

Ratchett

John Forgeham
–

Charlie Sykes

Sally Phillips
–

Tracey

Danny Dyer
–

Billy the Limpet

Jason Flemyng
–

Bob Likely

Jason Statham
–

Monk

Martin Wimbush
–

Z

David Reid
–

Barman

David Cropman
–

Second Barman

Taglines:
Not Your Usual Suspects

Release Date: 26 December 2001

Box Office Details

Budget: £2,500,000

(estimated)

Opening Weekend: £1,573,594
(UK)
(30 December 2001)
(313 Screens)

Gross: $152,358
(Russia)
(4 August 2002)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Did You Know?

Trivia:

At the end of the movie the match commentators give the following speech: "Guards of Pentonville, guards of Wandsworth, Walton nick in Liverpool, policemen of Britain, traffic wardens and parole officers, wheel clampers, your boys have taken a hell of a beating today! A hell of a beating!" This speech is a direct reference to Norwegian sports commentator Bjørge Lillelien who made British headlines, when in 1981, Norway beat England during the 1982 World Cup qualifiers and he gave the following emotional response: "[In Norwegian] We are the best in the world! We are the best in the world! We have beaten England 2-1 at football! It is totally incredible! We have beaten England! England, home of giants: Looooord Nelson, Looooord Beaverbrook, Sir Winston Churchill, Anthony Eden, Clement Attlee, Henry Cooper, Lady Diana. We have beaten them all, we have beaten them all! [In English] Maggie Thatcher, can you hear me? [In Norwegian] Maggie Thatcher, I have a message to you during the election: We have beaten England out of the World Championship in football! Maggie Thatcher, as they say in your language in the boxing-bars around Madison Square Garden: [in English] Your boys took a hell of a beating! Your boys took a hell of a beating!" However, despite the loss, England continued on to qualify for the World Cup finals, while Norway did not.

Goofs:

Continuity:
When Danny Meehan is talking to the Governor in the showers at half-time, the scar on his right cheek is missing.

Quotes:

Danny Meehan:
Oh right lads, you wanna be nothing, prisoners… numbers… that's fine. But you win out there today and you'll have something to remember forever, talk about it over and over, because up and down the country there are cons that are pig sick of not being here in your shoes… just to have one crack at those bastards next door!

Danny Meehan:
Run your guts out, and you'll have somethin' in 'ere
[points towards heart]

Danny Meehan:
they can never touch, guards and nutcase governors… NOW… ask yourselves one question… ARE YOU READY?
[…]

User Review

Top class Brit flick!

Rating:

You simply cannot put this movie down, a great all British cast and a
great
all British sport, being British and a great lover of Manchester United, i
was up for this film and it didn't diasappoint me in the slightest. Vinnie
Jones was brilliant as Danny Meehan and Jason Statham as the 'Monk' was
simply classic vintage stuff. The match is what the watchers of this film
want to see and it is fantastically constructed, just one tip of advice,
don't p*** of the 'Monk'

10/10 stars, classic stuff