Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-25 02:35:43

Ok, but dark and dysfunctional.

This review is from: The Fighter (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) (Blu-ray) Comment: I can see why this movie was nominated for 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture. The acting was superb and the situations were real enough. For me though it was "dark" and a downer dealing with drug abuse and nonfunctional family life. I see enough of that for real. This movie reflects what I have heard about the "sleaziness" of boxing and the way some boxers rise from the bad side of life through it. The movie was technically ok but not my cup of tea. You should be in a "neutral" frame of mind as you watch it. It could be good for you.

2012-05-24 16:20:09

Familiar Formula, But Gets An "A" For Effort

After watching "The Fighter," I realized that I have now seen more boxing movies than actual boxing matches in my life.

upendravikram1989 2012-05-24 05:27:47

Simple, amazing, rocking,awesome, must watch movie...

The movie is all about family oriented, brother love and how to handlelife between girlfriend and his family member.It include all (Romance,Action,Comedy)best thing is that it's based on real story.The story issimple but the way movie is made is just awesome.If you bored fromBollywood love story then.....go watch this movie.It different, youlove it.The Fighter features great music, engaging performances and apredictable.Everyone involved in this film just made a fan of me.In all, a class group of fine professionals and actors put their heart andsoul into this one and I hope their efforts are well rewarded when itcomes time to nominate and vote for Oscars.It,s own boxing, most of movie on sport is based own boxing,but i saythat it,s the best movie in boxing category.The actors are done goodjob in the movie.

Som K 2012-05-23 16:39:19

More drama than boxing!!!!!

It a good character study film. More of a intense drama than boxing.Whalberg is getting really good in these roles. Hope he continuous thisform.The screenplay does a really good job in making the story come alive.Also the acting of Bale is beyond doubt impressive as always. Thesupporting roles were good especially of the mother.However would have been great if it had a little more boxing action.Also had a somewhat abrupt ending if i may say so.But none the less a very good movie, especially if you are a Bale fan.My rating 4/5

2012-05-21 16:14:48

not the newest story, but you'll wind up recommending it

The Fighter is quite a good film. The themes of family, courage, pride and rising to a challenge are well explored here and because these themes are so universal it makes a great story--one that is based on real life, too! Of course, this isn't the first film to examine these issues; but The Fighter does it all with panache. While the acting by the entire cast is superlative, Christian Bale steals practically every scene he's in as he portrays Dicky Eklund, a local boxing legend living in Lowell, Massachusetts. In addition, the choreography couldn't have been any better; and the cinematography left nothing to be desired. When the action starts, we quickly meet Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg), a mostly unsuccessful boxer being managed by his mother Alice Ward (Melissa Leo) and trained by both his unreliable, drug addicted half-brother Dicky (Christian Bale)and Mickey O'Keefe, a police sergeant in the Lowell police department. Although Alice, Dicky and Mickey have nothing but the best of intentions as far as Micky's career is concerned, Micky is seen in the boxing world as nothing but a "stepping stone," a boxer other people fight and almost always beat as they climb their way up the ladder. Micky yearns for a more successful career in professional boxing; and Mark Wahlberg's acting is so fine that I really felt for Micky.Things become more complicated when Micky's life starts to change: he meets a gutsy young woman named Charlene (Amy Adams) who, although she is herself a college dropout, has spirit, a sharp mind and true belief in Micky's ability to go further in the world of boxing. She encourages Micky to take an offer to train year-round in Las Vegas; this causes a major upheaval in the family as Alice and Dicky are shocked and hurt by the realization that Micky just might go to Vegas to train for real--and this would mean they failed to help one of their own become successful. Things get even worse when Dicky is arrested and Micky's hand is badly hurt by the police when he is also arrested for trying to interfere with Dicky's arrest.There are some very good plot twists and turns that I won't mention for fear of spoiling it for you; suffice it to say that the characters in this film experience quite a bit of action and soul searching along the way. Look for an excellent performance by Mickey O'Keefe as himself, a police sergeant in Lowell, Massachusetts who also trained Micky along the way; and Jack McGee does a wonderful job of playing Alice's husband George. Frank Renzulli plays Sal Lanano and Sugar Ray Leonard has a cameo in the film. There's also an interesting subplot about the making of a film about Dicky. The DVD comes with an optional running commentary and there is a "making of" featurette that I particularly enjoyed.Overall, The Fighter is a very good movie that I would recommend for anyone interested in gritty dramas based on real life events with action and suspense--as well as family issues being played out. Fans of the actors in this film will also want this for their collections.

glegs 2012-05-21 05:09:05

A very average and forgettable film.

I watched this film today, and I would not say I was disappointed, Ijust thought there were better movies I could be watching. Maybe a lesscliché filled movie that is not sticking so close to well wornterritory.Most boxing or fighting of some sort films usually pack a lot ofemotional impact, but this had none. The main character in this movie(who I cannot remember the name of even though I watched it today, nota good sign) is a completely boring character who I did not care about.People seem to think this is alright because they find Christian Bale'scharacter very interesting. I just found him a bit annoying. But ingood boxing and fighting films you go for a journey with a character;you find out their flaws and troubles and what happens to their life,and you always seem to be able to make emotional connections with theirsituation. In a movie where the main character is just there for a moreinteresting character to interact with, it is missing a vital piece.Also this movie is distractingly unintelligent. Everything in thisfilm; every relationship, dispute, emotional turmoil etc, gives you noroom to think about, like say Raging Bull or The Wrestler does. It istaken and shoved in your face and then rubbed around there unpleasantlyfor a few minutes. So overall, I do not recommend this movie. It is nothing special or newand in a few years it will be forgotten. Instead I highly recommend anintelligent, emotionally powerful, great film like Raging Bull or TheWrestler, as they succeed in all the ways this film doesn't.

Jackson Booth-Millard 2012-05-18 23:32:26

The Fighter

From Oscar and Golden Globe nominated David O. Russell (Three Kings, IHeart Huckabees), this alongside Black Swan and The King's Speech wasthe big award predicted film, it was also the only one I knew aboutrated fives stars out of five, so I went to see it. Based on the truestory, this tells the story of 'Irish' Micky Ward (Golden Globenominated Mark Wahlberg), an up and coming boxer from Lowell,Massachusetts, being trained by his half-brother, former professionalboxer Dicky Eklund (Oscar and Golden Globe winning, and BAFTA nominatedChristian Bale). Dicky gave up boxing after suffering humiliatingdefeat against Sugar Ray Leonard, and since then he has plunged into acrack cocaine (and possibly other drugs) addiction. This is of coursecauses problems for the training of Micky, the welterweight wannabechampion trying to find a good fight with the help of his mother andmanager Alice (Oscar and Golden Globe winning Melissa Leo). He missesout on a big fight against a competitor who becomes sick, and withquite a few losses he doesn't know where he is going yet, but he atleast has a good social life gaining a new girlfriend in bar workerCharlene Fleming (Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated Amy Adams).Dicky is eventually caught and imprisoned for his drug use, with hisdrug life turned into an BO documentary, and while he is there Mickymay be turning a corner with finding the right fights. Slowly he isbeating his opponents with training advice given by his new trainer,and rising as a new up and coming boxer, and when Dicky is released hetries to reconcile with many people. Finally with such a high amount ofwins and a great reputation as a successful professional boxer, Mickygains the big Title fight in London against an unbeaten champion, andin the end, of course he wins. Also starring Jack McGee as George Ward,Miguel Espino as Alfonso Sanchez, Peter Cunningham as Mike 'MachineGun' Mungin, Anthony Molinari as Shea Neary, Anthony 'Ace' Thomas asCastillo, Mickey O'Keefe and the real Micky and Dicky. Bale isfantastic in his award winning performance, I am surprised Whalbergwasn't nominated the Oscar as well, Adams as always is reliable andlikable, and Leo (the first Oscar winner to say the "F" word live) ispretty good too, if you want a real life boxing film which feels likeRocky, then you can't go wrong with this terrific biographical boxingdrama. It was nominated the Oscars for Best Motion Picture of the Year,Best Editing and Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for theScreen, it was nominated the BAFTA for Best Original Screenplay, and itwas nominated the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Drama. Verygood!

antoniotierno 2012-05-18 17:31:06

very enjoyable boxing flick though predictable

Another boxing movie based upon a true story and superblyacted/directed, with commitment and fidelity to the real event. WhereThe Fighter is totally different from other films of the same genre(the great Raging Bull and the six Rockys) is the manner it involvesthe family, with Amy Adams perfect in her role, and Micky's mother andbrother being very authentic. Mark Wahlberg is solid and deep, alwaysbelievable, Christian Bale as well is superb, and together they makethe story fantastically watchable. Overall it's more about a familyrelationship than the boxing but it's a struggle of life seen through areal fight.

alexcinaps 2012-05-17 04:12:25

The Fighter- A depiction of life in Lowell

This is more than a boxing movie, it's a depiction of life in theblue-collar slums. Bale performance is an actor defining performance; Iwas actuated by emotion afterwards, It gripped me like no other moviein recent years. The prison scene where they aired the HBO documentaryon Dick's life as an addict was heart-wrenching. And the actual fightscenes packed one hell of a punch. It deserves to be right up therewith the best movies of the decade. My single gripe with the movie wasWahlberg's acting. He was ice to Bale's fire. Wahlberg's acting isdecent but not outstanding. As a boxing fan I've seen Dicky fight, andBale in that two hours was Dicky Eklund. Check out lost lives in Lowelland you'll understand what I mean. All in all, a "must see" for boxingand movie fan alike.

2012-05-16 13:27:54

Great Movie - hard to watch - at times

This movie caught me unaware - it wasn't a movie - it was so REAL. It was a stark docudrama of epic proportions. At times the characters were so real and nauseating, it was hard to watch. In the end it was about a person rising above his elements of environment and his family to be his best. The cast was incredible and as soon as you are swept away by their realism - it is an incredible journey. Christian Bale was exquisite and his talent at transforming himself into someone else's persona so incredible that one can forgive almost all the hipe of his ignorant, violent behavior. Mark Walberg is sold short. His acting was a suitable juxtaposition for Bale. See it. It will take a few moments to understand that this is more than a movie... it takes you away - to another realistic place and as soon as you adjust - it will take your breath away!

2012-05-16 01:32:31

Great Drama about family - Not Boxing

This is great movie. The story is really impressive and the acting of Christian Bale and supporting actors is fantastic. Mark Wahlberg is well... Mark Wahlberg. He is not a great actor. But he does his best. And he is adequate for this movie. However Christian Bale pulls off a excellent performance. This a movie not about boxing but a family. In fact there is only a total of about a few minutes of actual fighting in the ring. But I think that why this movie is so successful. If there was more fighting it would seem hokey and boring. The boxing in this movie does seem authentic.

The-Driver92 2012-05-15 11:04:36

Fantastic.

A movie that finally proves feel good sports movies about under dogsdon't have to be clean, campy, and follow the same outlines as all therest. The fighter is a real world gritty movie about a boxer who has todo as much fighting outside the ring as in to prove himself.Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) is a down on his luck man from Lowell Mass.Working construction he begins to plan a come back as a boxer. Trainedlargely by a family friend and his junkie brother, Dicky Eklund(Christian Bale), he begins to talk up his come back around town. WhenWard's come back doesn't go as planned he nearly gives up on his dreamuntil his new girlfriend Charlene Fleming (Amy Adams) fills the role ofa supportive, loving person in his life that no one has really steppedinto before. Ward is constantly in his brother's shadow and it is clearwho the family favorite is. Ward's emotional battle out of the ring istougher than the physical trials he endures during his fights.The Fighter is a great movie that blends family, boxing, drama, andcomedy perfectly. It is clear this movie always had a strong script andDavid O. Russell did a phenomenal job directing but the cast reallybrings it to the next level. Wahlberg and Bale have excellent chemistryon screen. Adams projects a strong and independent woman who isn'tafraid to stare down Ward's seven sisters or his over bearing mother,Alice Ward (Melissa Leo). There is no weak link in the cast andchoosing one that stands above the rest isn't easy. An amazing castlike this can carry any average movie but The Fighter is somethingmore.The Fighter is still an underdog story but it doesn't seem to be thesame fill-in-the- blank as every other sports movie that gets churnedout. The town of Lowell Mass is brought to life by the vibrant and realcharacters. It is not a cookie-cutter suburbia or a friendly town thatholds Ward on their shoulders like in the sequel to the Rocky movies.Ward is a flawed character and his family is worse. These flaws makethem characters and not just players in the game. Plenty of scenesdevelop the characters, the town, and the struggle that Ward had toface everyday without being over bearing or taking anything away fromthe plot.An amazing story with real characters this movie isn't just for boxingfans. The sport is Ward's ambition but the fight the title refers toinvolves every aspect of his life.

heywood_jablomey 2012-05-14 07:51:23

Awful

I'll start with the positive. Good production values and some decentcinematography but all in all it was just a very run of the millpredictable film. All the stereotypes are there, guy at the lowestpoint of his life, works his way up, has family problems, work on hispersonal life and professional life and is a great success. I thoughtChristian Bale put a decent effort in, but even with all that weightloss the performance just wasn't believable. One other good thing thatI thought was good(for those who think I am being unfair) was thedialogue. It sounded very believable and real. I just didn't care forthe characters, they were far too cardboard and out of a storyboard.Honestly, you can guess what happens next. No, I didn't miss the pointof this movie.

2012-05-14 01:23:10

For a film that's been done many, many times before...

The Fighter' breathes a bit of fresh air into the subject. That isn't to say that the film is without its detractors, for it has those, but for the most part this is a fun and exciting ride that contains sharp notes that accentuate what could have been a `far too familiar' ride through `familiar territory'.`The Fighter', which probably should have been called `The Fighters', tells the dual story of Micky Ward and Dicky Eklund; two brothers with similar dreams and differing setbacks. Dicky was a onetime boxing champ who lives in his glory days by abusing drugs. Micky, his younger brother, strives for a glimmer of what his brother had, but his volatile relationship with his family (namely his mother) make it increasingly more difficult for him to capitalize on his potential. Once Micky meets and falls for spitfire bartender Charlene, his life starts to change and his career starts to take off as he begins to take pride in his own future. But, family is always lurking around the corner, and soon Micky knows he'll need to fuse his two lives together.There really isn't anything `new' about `The Fighter'. The story seems rehashed from nearly every other `semi-popular' sports film ever made. It is a formula that is rarely messed with (although it could use a facelift). But, with generously crafted performances, a smart (and fluid) script and some keen direction, `The Fighter' feels far fresher than it really is.Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg are sensationally good here, especially Bale who just tears into the scenery and his character with reckless abandon. He inhales every ounce of character to be created and spits it out with every tick and reflex and emotional complexity intact. With a character like Dicky (drug addled failure) there is no room for subtlety, but there is a need to remain authentic, and Christian Bale delivers flawlessly. Wahlberg had the difficult assignment of not getting lost in the antics of the actors around him (mainly Bale and Leo) and he manages to do just that. Amy Adams is also wonderful, changing up her own pace and taking on a character that is unlike any she's tackled in the past. She is feisty and sexy and all around undeniable. I loved the paternal warmth that Jack McGee was able to pull out of such a small role as well. Now, there is much debate about Melissa Leo. Yes, she was entertaining and engrossing and yet she was shamelessly skin deep and lacked the depth and complexity that the rest of her co-stars brought to the role. I was not a fan of her Oscar win, despite the fact that her performance was `good'.In the end, `The Fighter' isn't a total knockout, but it has something special, something extra that makes it stand out amongst a crowd of similarly themed films. You can feel the passion in the film, a passion that is hard to fake.

Jenkins Barlington 2012-05-12 16:32:32

Will mark Wahlberg ever win an Oscar or should he?

Will mark Wahlberg ever win an Oscar or should he? Hey its barlingtonagain at the moment the run up the Oscars are happening and with manyfine films and some awful ones such as the face book movie actuallyscratch that I have not watched I yet because there is too much hypemuch like every Oscar year they pick a movie out and pretty much gushabout how =good it is not too say its not good but just saying therewere other movies our that were great in different ways for instance wehad the hurt locker last year not that was a very informative film butdid it deserve an Oscar I don't think so it got an Oscar throughcontent and having women director alone not a=on acting performanceswhich is a shame because it deserved them but should the Oscars includeto some degree a measure of sustainability. what I mean by this shouldthe Oscars have to take into account a films gross profit andlikability from the public before deciding its out come now there areextremes to this view as you don't want Twilight winning an Oscar or/High school musical but you what's something that appeals to all thekey demographic not just the arts critics turned film reviewers. Nowback to the original argument does the Ex-rapper / boy band singerdeserve an Oscar that being marky mark from new kids on the block. Thisanswer is one which has nearly brought me to blows with my dad to themere fact should a persons past effect how they do in the present andshould the fact his records went multi platinum stop him from being agreat actor.... I don't think so what do you think? Yes he's made some bad decisions these being obvious to everyone 'thehappening' and the Italian job remake' both of which were bombs andawful movies to boot , but were those his fault no well yes he said yesto scripts but the script not the acting performance was bad, now markWalberg has made some articulate film such as invincible and lovelybones and have been received well but he is the everyman I think a guywho is rock steady throughout a movie maybe not being the funniest orthe smartest but being there to tee up the guy that is like is therecently awesome movie the fighter or the best remake ever the departedwere he let matt Damon and Leo take the limelight and so much like awinger in the football or a guard in football he lets the bigplaymakers do there thing while giving good performances in greatmovies that are received well by the public. Is it enough to be a goodsupporting actor all the time and not get the credit whereas it due andbe given a statue where Sean penn has won twice after appearing in Fasttimes as a stoner . All in All mark Wahlberg has a barlington Seal ofapprovalNow please if you read this give me some feed back on what you think.

nour kurdi 2012-05-12 11:39:03

Christian Bale's Career Has A Major Turning Point

i saw this movie yesterday, in fact i was expecting somethingextraordinary according to the hype and the 6 Golden Globe nominations,but now i can say that this movie was made for (Christian Bale) whogives an astonishing brilliant performance and the best of his career.the movie is all over great from start to end, full of emotions andfamily values, filled up with a brilliant performances and a veryincredible characters and was directed very carefully to stick with theoriginal true story.i give it 8 out of 10 and i also think Christian Bale deserves an Oscarfor the sake of his incredible portfolio and his best performance tilldate.the fighter has made it to the top spot and will be one of the bestmovies this year. do yourself a favor by not missing it.

2012-05-11 17:12:40

The fighter

This review is from: The Fighter (DVD) It's a movie that could have a bit more action and a better story line however it keeps you watching

2012-05-11 10:07:32

Pitch-perfect depiction of 'deep Massachusetts'

Those of you who haven't seen this really great movie probably don't know that this is less of a film about boxing than it is about a deep, complex, topsy-turvy but ultimately loving relationship between two half-brothers, Dicky Eklund and Micky Ward. Don't miss it.Christian Bale's performance of Eklund is other-worldly. Watching his pitch-perfect portrayal of a Lowell, MA denizen, I found myself constantly thinking "Remember, this guy is Welsh-born, raised in England." Like me, all Massachusetts-born movie watchers scrutinize the accent and the attitude, calling out the offenders like the Laura Linneys and Robin Williams (dreadful in Mystic River and Good Will Hunting respectively). But of Bale: he's nothing short of amazing. In physical transformation, talk and character, he is Dicky Eklund. Amy Adams and Melissa Leo are also great. The awards season has validated that. But what of Mark Wahlberg? This movie was his idea, his passion, his long-running obsession. Why no awards for him? Bale said it best at the Golden Globes:"I've really got to give a shout out to Mark, because he drove this whole movie, and you can only give a loud performance like the one I gave when you have a quiet anchor and a stoic character. I've played that one many times, and it never gets any notice."David O. Russell's direction is fantastic. The fight scenes are superb. He also does great things with Ward and Eklund's pack of seven sisters. Russell bunches them together on couches or spills them out of a car like in a circus. In the theater I was in, the audience totally got the humor in those scenes. Other great touches: the HBO and ESPN commentary heard the movie is the actual commentary from the fights; many of the boxing scenes are punch-by-punch recreations of the original bouts; putting footage of the real Ward and Eklund (2010 vintage) during the credits (which will give you an even deeper appreciation for Bale's portrayal...eerie).

2012-05-11 03:09:09

The Fighter

This review is from: The Fighter (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) (Blu-ray) One of the best movies I've seen in a long time - outstanding job of portraying the two brothers - Wahlberg and Bale were great and I liked the little clip included during the credits(at end of movie)of the real brothers - you could see for yourself what a good job they did in capturing the brother's essence. The story was heart-felt and moved along well, never boring.

2012-05-10 11:52:26

The Fighter, disappointing.

Rented "The Fighter" last night. What a disappointment. This could of been such a great movie if they would of focused more on Ward's boxing and less on his nutzo family. Thought I rented a boxing story and instead I rented a Jerry Springer family with a little boxing thrown in. The acting by Bale was superb and Whalberg's acting was pretty good too. In the end great acting, or any other part of great film making cannot rescue a story line that would of been better suited for "Jerry Springer, the Movie".