This week, Mart and Trev strap on their knee pads, grab their flaming elbows (not a typo), and dive helmet-first into the most violent sport the '70s could dream up — Rollerball! First, they tackle the 1975 cult classic, where James Caan glides between corporate dystopia and roller derby mayhem, all while wearing shoulder pads big enough to seat a family of four. It's Orwell meets Top Gear and somehow, it works.
Then it's onto the 2002 remake — a film so extreme it forgot to include logic and replaces subtlety with NU-METAL and NIGHT VISION. Chris Klein emotes like he’s trying to remember his lines mid-skate, LL Cool J does his best to stay in one piece, and Jean Reno plays a villain who may or may not understand the rules of his own sport (don’t worry, no one else does either). The soundtrack slaps, the plot trips over its own shoelaces, and the night-vision chase scenes might trigger flashbacks to early 2000s energy drinks.
Mart and Trev ask the big questions:
Why is the future always run by shady businessmen?
Who greenlit the idea that Kazakhstan needed more nu-metal?
Why does P!nk sound like Rob Zombie?
And why is no one wearing a helmet properly?!
Mart tries to figure out the rules of the game (there are none), Trev re-enacts an entire match using salad bowls and hamsters.
It's a tale of two Rollerballs — one grim, prophetic, and oddly classy… the other loud, dumb, and possibly edited on rollerblades. Grab your spiked gloves and join us on The Deja Review — where every reboot gets rolled.
Two long time friends, one podcast.
This is The Deja Review.
Enjoy the episode and remember to like, follow and tell your friends.
As always a massive thank you to Little Foil Fish for our theme tune - Little_Foil_Fish
Mart & Trev
Instagram - @thedejareview
Keywords
Rollerball, movie review, remake, corporate control, dystopian film, sports, James Caan, film analysis, podcast, Deja Review
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Deja Review
00:55 Overview of Rollerball
01:50 The Dystopian Future of Rollerball
03:40 Corporate Control and Individualism
07:54 Themes of Violence and Sport
12:43 Character Dynamics and Corporate Influence
18:25 The Final Games and Rule Changes
25:06 Comparative Analysis with Other Films
30:18 The 2002 Remake of Rollerball
35:07 The Impact of Media on Sports
39:23 Character Performances and Highlights
43:49 Questionable Directorial Choices
46:10 Behind the Scenes Controversies
50:24 Comparing the Original and the Remake and final thoughts
56:20 5 to 1: James Caan
