'Rollerball' Remake Opens Friday

Feb. 6, 2002 -- Violent futuristic sports get a new look this week, as the remake of Rollerball bowls into theaters.

If you're a fan of the X-Games, this remake of the 1975 James Caan classic is right up your alley.

This time around, Rebecca Romjin-Stamos, LL Cool J and American Pie's Chris Klein lace up for a sport combining motorcycles, basketball and hockey, not to mention slick uniforms.

Klein's character is enjoying life as the sport's top athlete. But when rollerball'screators realize that serious on-court accidents bring higher ratings, he and teammates find themselves playing for their lives. LL Cool J: 'I'm Taking Heads'

LL Cool J says he helped update the movie with some design suggestions for his costume.

"The 'H.H." on the belt is for 'head hunter,' cause I'm taking heads," he says. "Then I have these incredible steel gloves just in case anybody gets too close … If their shave isn't close enough I make sure they get a clean shave before the game is over, you know. It's very super hero-ish, very action figure-ish."

Romijn-Stamos, who's taken some turns on the fashion runway, says she likes the chance to be a butt-kicking athlete.

"The look of the movie is so stylized," she says. "I'm on the red team, so we were a lot of black and red leather and it's almost got this S&M feel to it."

While this is something of a departure for him, Klein says the way the film was shot, he didn't have any problem getting into the role.

"When you put on your uniform and put on your skates … things are moving too fast," he says. "If you blink you'll probably be on the floor because you'll slip or get hit or something. It doesn't take a lot of imagination."

The vision of professional sports was bleak back in Caan's day, and don't look for anything different now.

"The nature of the game is pain," LL Cool J says. "It's a blood sport. Basically, [you] do everything within your power to stop the other team from scoring and then score at blinding speed."