photo courtesy of paramount pictures "The Longest Yard" - Chris Rock joins former SNLers Rob Schneider, Tracy Morgan and Adam Sandler in this remake of one of Burt Reynolds' (center) football classics.

Chris Rock has come a long way since playing that $100 bill-pinching customer at the rib shop in "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka."

He spends more time at home with his wife and kids, and even plays his PlayStation 2 and watches DVDs on Saturday evenings.

At 40, Rock said he has mellowed out a little bit. His art, however, has not, nor has his desire to make people laugh as both a comedian and an actor.

One of Rock's next ventures, "The Longest Yard," is, yes, another remake, but he's convinced "young kids" will like it because it will be new to them.

"I think this film is primarily a comedy, and the original was really a rough action movie with a little bit of comedy," he said. "We just have a lot more comedy in this one."

For those of you who weren't around in 1974, "The Longest Yard" is about a professional football-player-turned-convict who assembles an all-prisoner football team to go up against a team of prison guards.

Rock plays Caretaker, a convict who, along with their coach Nate Scarborough (Burt Reynolds), helps Paul "Wrecking" Crewe (Adam Sandler) win the big game.

"The Longest Yard" marks the first film Sandler and Rock have made together despite working together on "Saturday Night Live" more than a decade ago.

"I don't know. We just waited for the right thing and I guess it meshed. It looks good," Rock said. "People buy the friendship. It was great working with Sandler and his guys because they really know what they're doing. So, all I had to really worry about is myself being funny."

Other SNL alumni in the flick include Rob Schneider and Tracy Morgan, but no cameo tops Reynolds' return as the only main character from the original 1974 version of the film.

"I loved working with Burt and I think he's going to be our good-luck charm on the movie because he has, like, a real part," Rock said. "He's not like a little cameo at the end."

Whether he admires them or not, Rock said working with actors is not much of a novelty for him. But working with professional athletes, such as Stone Cold Steve Austin and others, was a whole new experience.

"When you meet athletes, it's like, 'Man, I can't do that,'" Rock said. "I look at Michael Irvin and I'm like, 'Man, this guy is incredible.' So I had a good time."

Director Peter Segal ("50 First Dates") also had a positive effect on Rock.

"He was very available to me before the movie, and we got to really talk about the character; the tone of the movie," Rock said. "I definitely would love to work with Pete Segal again."

Playing Pookie in "New Jack City" - one of his personal favorite roles - and Wesley in "Nurse Betty" has allowed Rock to demonstrate his serious acting ability, but he said he has no plans to star in a "Punch-Drunk Love" of his own.

Fortunately, Rock does plan to give directing another whirl, having made "Head of State."

"I'm definitely going to direct again, I just have been working on some stuff and maybe some time next year I'll direct something," Rock said. "Kind of like a black 'Oceans Eleven'-type thing with maybe me and (Dave) Chappelle and (Chris) Tucker and (Eddie) Murphy or something like that."

Rock said he doesn't care what critics say about his films just as long as audiences can enjoy them. But when it comes to standup, everyone knows Rock is untouchable.

"You know when you are doing a movie you just have to work with more people and you have to satisfy a lot of people," he said. "You know when you are doing stand up there are no ratings in a stand-up show."

"The Longest Yard" opens May 27. Additionally - opening the same day, as a matter of fact - Rock gives vocal life to Marty the Zebra in Dreamworks' animated feature "Madagascar."