National Broadcasting Company (NBC) | Release Date: September 27, 1991 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
45
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 23 Critic Reviews
Positive:
5
Mixed:
13
Negative:
5
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75
The premise might sound gimmicky, but it's realized honestly and specifically. [27 Sept 1991, p.D6]
63
Roughness at least has a few good laughs in the formula. [30 Sept 1991, p.D08]
50
Essentially, the film's strategy is to fight predictability with bonehead amiability, and on this level it's a crowd-pleaser. [27 Dec 1991, p.28]
50
At least Necessary Roughness strays from the usual game plan, but it ends up strictly Bush league. [27 Sept 1991, p.2D]
50
Hector Elizondo and Robert Loggia are fine as the team's coaches. [27 Sept 1991, p.C2]
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)H.J. Hirchhoff
Just enough laughs to make up for predictable plot. [1 Oct 1991]
50
Necessary Roughness, a football comedy of unnecessary blandness, has the same problem as the Miami Dolphins: It dies in the second half. [3 Oct 1991, p.F4]
25
A pathetic sports comedy that aspires to be a college-football version of "Major League" and doesn't even get close. [27 Sept 1991]
20
Perhaps the NCAA should investigate how Necessary Roughness ever made it to the big screen. The movie-making team that fielded this fiasco would receive more sanctions than the universities of Florida, Oklahoma and Houston combined. [27 Sept 1991, p.13]