Nearly 25 years after its debut, the 2000 sports comedy The Replacements
is enjoying a surprising round of extra time Tubi
. The film, starring Keanu Reeves
and Gene Hackman
, was a panned dud in the eyes of critics on its original release, but audiences were taken with the star pairing and the story of underdog triumph. Now, this forgotten slice of 2000s nostalgia is finding a whole new audience on free streaming.
The Replacements tells the story of a beleaguered football team that finds hope in a motley group of replacement players during a pro-player strike. Reeves stars as Shane Falco, a quarterback who steps into the spotlight at a time when everything seems set to go south for the unlikely team. Gene Hackman’s seasoned coach, McGinty, brings the expected level of gravitas to his role as the tough-love giving counsel to the team. While many critics were put off by the predictable plot and outcome – which can be found in so many sports comedies – sometimes a little of the familiar is just what you need to make you smile, as many viewers discovered.
At the box office, The Replacements managed to pull in $50 million worldwide—a respectable figure but also one that only just matched its budget. Critically, the movie drew a “rotten” 41% Tomatometer score, as even the powerful star combination of Reeves and Hackman couldn’t force many to see past the clichés and tropes making up the bulk of the film’s storyline. However, audiences gifted the movie a 66% score, with many citing The Replacements as a “good movie for old-fashioned entertainment with all the ‘80s feels.” And this is perhaps the crux of the matter, as even if the story is not particularly new, finding something familiar can sometimes be exactly what audiences want.
‘The Replacements’ Is Scoring a Belated Touchdown on Tubi
What makes The Replacements’ current resurgence on Tubi particularly interesting is that the film has been pretty much forgotten for the best part of two decades. It is unlikely that anyone asked to name a Keanu Reeves or Gene Hackman movie would be able to recall it, but that makes it the perfect addition to the Tubi library. Among the constant stream of action and superhero movies that are frequenting the platform’s Top 10, The Replacements stands out as a gentle, feel-good offering for those looking for something a little less exhilarating.
The renewed popularity of The Replacements is another reminder that no matter how a movie performed on its theatrical release, there are very few films that cannot find an audience on streaming – particularly free streaming. Of course, it always helps when a movie comes with lead talent like Reeves and Hackman. As the film celebrates its 25th anniversary this August, there couldn’t be a better to rediscover this somewhat underrated gem.
Related
10 Sports Movies That Even Non-Sports Fans Will Enjoy
Film buffs can enjoy these movies whether they care about sports or not.
While sports dramas in general have been very hit-and-miss, the underdog story is quite often a winner for those willing to look past the obvious conclusion most movies of this type come to after a reasonably short runtime. But, that is one great advantage of free streaming, as even if you don’t know if you are going to love or hate the movie, you can watch The Replacements without spending a dime.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
