I've avoided Varsity Blues since its initial release in 1999. Primarily because, while the odd sports film can certainly entertain, teen films from the late 90's were generally garbage. On top of this, the lead role of quarterback Jonathan Moxon, was given to ‘The Dawson' – James Van Der Beek. I also found out later that Paul Walker was also in the film. Not my cup of tea, I assure you. However, I can admit when I'm wrong, and perhaps I was less than fair to Varsity Blues, as it certainly entertained me, and perhaps even succeeded as a film in a much stronger fashion than I would have expected.

Performances are good all around, with Van Der Beek's character being the only one scripted with any sort of depth. Every other character is as flat and single-dimensional as it gets. Jon Voight is the coach who is only concerned with winning, regardless of the well-being of his players. Scott Caan provides the majority of humour, as the goofball of the group – nearly every funny line of dialogue is given to Caan, and he certainly capitalizes on this, creating the most enjoyable character of the film. James Van Deer Beek has to deal with the situation of being suddenly pushed into the spotlight when the starting quarterback is injured; it is here that this character is developed beyond the others.

What impressed me the most about Varsity Blues is the approach it takes to developing the plot. There are a few small subplots of serious subject matter, developed briefly throughout the film; however, the film never forgets its purpose, which is to entertain. When it comes down to it, the film also realizes that sometimes we want to see a movie where the objective is not ‘to win the big game'. The ending is very satisfying, as Jon Voight's 'comeuppance' is dealt in an appropriate manner. The film never tries to do too much with its content, and as a result enjoys a strong balance between both enjoyment and appropriate development.

While director Brian Robbins primarily works as a producer, he has a certain skill behind the camera, creating a relatively well-polished production. It's also worth noting that his only prior studio film was Good Burger. There is a good use of music to set the mood, and the football sequences are capably filmed and put together. The end result is a film which, while certainly nothing spectacular, would definitely provide an entertaining evening of movie-watching. Provided there's no real football on TV.