I fancied watching this film just because of Al Pacino and Oliver Stone but I have no real interest in American football at all.
Is there any other reason to watch this film? Is it purely about the sport or is that just what the story happens around?
I think if you like Pacino and Stone, you should give it a shot.
Just a background, I'm not American, I'm from SEAsia so American football, westerns and even war films don't naturally appeal to me. But if it stars my favorite actor or I hear good reviews, I will give it a shot regardless. And even if it's just so so for me upon initial watch, I might rewatch 10 or 15 years down the line. That's how I learned to like Band of Brothers. With this, I've watched this 3x now, solely for Al. I can recognize that it is well written, shot, acted with complex characters and if I was an American male who loved football, I might give this an 8/10 rating. But as a Filipina who does not find football attractive yet recognizes the film's merits, I give this a 7/10.
I think other sports films, even without a person's initial interest has more appeal than American football because it has the ability to show heart, soul, and something for the family, like baseball.
American football is like the seedy side of athletics, it's all about drugs, booze and women. There is no innocence in the game.