Rollerball Movie Information

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Movie Information

Overall Rank: 7030

Average Rating: 2.5/4

# of Ratings: 50

Theatrical Release Date: 06/25/1975

Language: English

Genre: Action, Sci-Fi

MPAA Rating: R

Director: Norman Jewison

Actors: James Caan, John Houseman, Maud Adams, John Beck, Moses Gunn, Pamela Hensley

Plot: Set in the future, corporations have replaced countries and eliminate war and poverty but at the expense of individuality. In order to satisfy the bloodlust that mankind craves they invent the violent Rollerball - but when the top star, Jonathan E., begins to question the corporate rule, he faces as much danger in the sport as he does outside it. -- Chris Kavan

Indyfreak - wrote on 04/01/2024

Sports drama taking place in a dystopian future. The commentary has aged better than it should have. The rules of the game make no sense to me though. Perhaps that was a part of the message. John Houseman chews scenery as a polite but dastardly corporate executive. James Caan is good enough as the individualist athlete but I cannot say it's one of his more memorable roles.

Yojimbo
Movie God

"Rollerball" by Yojimbo

Yojimbo - wrote on 10/20/2012

The star player of a gladiatorial future sport is ordered to retire by the corporate executives who see his popularity as a threat to their totalitarian grip on society, but when he resists they begin to change the rules of the game to ensure his failure. Rollerball is another example of 70s dystopian sci-fi that mingles brutal action sequences that represent the games and more measured, cerebral scenes that examine the nature of a society in the thrall of fascism. Obviously very much based on the Roman concept of "bread and circuses", the character of Jonathan E. begins to question his role despite all the comforts he has come to enjoy at the behest of the faceless corporations who now wish him to disappear. Caan makes a solid anti-hero who only stops to think about the political …

gideon43
Director

The game is all that matters.

gideon43 - wrote on 05/28/2010

Coming across as a great big paradox, Rollerball is a highly entertaining Sci Fi Flick.
Supposedly anti violence and with fairly high aspirations of philosophical argument and social relevance, Rollerball simply works better as a classic future sport movie.
Guys on motorbikes and roller-skates beating the crap out of each other, what more could you ask for in a film.
James Caan as the understated all American sports hero is excellent in possibly his finest role and is given commendable support from John Beck, Maud Adams and John Houseman.
Rollerball delivers a vision of a dystopian society that is as decadent and unsettling as ever portrayed on screen, but it is in its fast paced adrenaline pumping action scenes where it ultimately succeeds.