MEAN MACHINE

Year: 2001
USA: Paramount Classics
UK: UIP (UK)
Cast: Vinnie Jones, Jason Statham, Danny Dyer, David Kelly, David Hemmings, Sally Phillips,
Warren Mitchell, Vas Blackwood
Director: Barry Skolnick
Country: United Kingdom
USA & UK: 99 mins
USA Rated: R for language and some violence
UK Certificate: 15 contains strong language and moderate violence
USA Release Date: 22 February 2002 (Limited Release - Los Angeles and New York)
UK Release Date: 26 December 2001
US Distributor

Synopsis

Danny Meehan (Vinnie Jones) had it all - captain of the England soccer team, fast cars, money and fame; until he was sacked following accusations of match fixing an England v. Germany match and jailed for three years for drunken assault on a police officer.

On arrival at prison his troubles are far from over. The Governor (David Hemmings) has pulled strings to get Danny assigned to his prison. He's put a lot of money into the prison guards' semi-professional soccer team with little result, and wants Danny to train the team to win the league.

Siding with the Governor is a one way ticket to prison hell, and so Danny proposes to train a team of cons to play against the guards as a pre-season warm-up. The Governor agrees, believing a bunch of cons to be no match for his guards. From this point on prepare to laugh and have fun as Danny takes on a tougher role than Sven Goran Ericson, coaching a team of unfit, unreliable and unpredictable villains to play against the guards.