Jerry Bruckheimer, the producer of Remember the Titans, is a master of Hollywood schlock. He has specialized in schlock since the early 80's, a decade ripe in schlock films, among them he produced Top Gun and Flashdance. In the past few years he's mainly focused on action-schlock, The Rock and Armageddon being his two biggest hits. This year alone he's produced three schlock films, Gone in Sixty Seconds (action-schlock), Coyote Ugly (PG13-sex-schlock) and now Titans. This is his bread and butter. He brings together a technically apt director, a movie star, a few well known character actors and a by-the-numbers script, all overseen by himself (uber-producer extraordinaire). You can instantly tell it's a Bruckheimer film from the trailer, they all have amazingly colorful and clean photography, no matter who the director.

Ok, all this info, and nothing said about the film. Just get to it, your thinking. Is it a good film? The answer: Sort of. It's a strong and interesting story, with some good performances, but it is weighed down in it's own schlockyness. (I swear I'll never over-use the word schlock in another review again.)

Based on a "true story", Denzel Washington is Herman Boone a football coach who is hired to a newly integrated Virginia high school. (This is the kind of role Denzel can phone in and still be good.) He is given the head coaching job over home-town favorite Bill Yoast (Will Patton), to appease the school board. It's 1971 and trouble abounds when whites and blacks are put into school together. The football team is no different and before the school year even starts they are forced into a training camp. However Boone is a smart and strong leader, through his perseverance the races begin to mix. His training camp is full of enlightenment and football speak, "Football is not fun."; "Football is not a Democracy, it's a Dictatorship."; "Football is about controlling anger." By the time camp is over the players are all such good friends, that they break into song together, singing along to the Temptations. One of at least three times in the movie that they sing, I found it to be a little far-fetched and annoying.

Titans, has mixed up it's schlock, sports-schlock with school-drama-schlock, a kind of Mighty Ducks meets Dangerous Minds, the second being another Bruckheimer film. When the players go back to school they are once again thrown into the turmoil, and fight to defend their new friendships. Coach Boone is there to lead them down the right path. "Trust a man's soul, not his skin." he says. They also start playing their football games. They win in the regular movie fashion, spectacular catches, bone-crunching hits and last minute trick plays. (The funny thing about all of this is that any high school coach worth his salt would at least be telling these boys to wrap-up when they make a tackle. The goal in this film seems to be, how far you can knock a guy off his feet.) All these events are all surrounded by fantastic backgrounds, beautiful sunsets, foggy mornings, the browning leaves of autumn, fireplaces, etc. Then backed up again with an inspirational score from Bruckheimer stand-by Trevor Rabin.

How much you like this movie really just depends on your mood. If you're wanting a sappy, "Go Team!", kind of movie, this is right up your alley. It is a very well made movie if you look at it in that vein. If you want something kind of edgy, with something intelligent to say, your going to be disappointed.