great movie

Rating: 9/10 (12 October 2007)

first thought around midsection of the movie for me was how similar this was to rocky balboa. had that same kinda "i'm too old for this s***" feel, but this time, i couldn't help but feel more strongly for Jim because losing the fight would mean more than him just losing his pride. throughout the second half of the movie, there were constant references to the Max's 2 fatal victims, and u can't help but feel for Jim's life, and his family, more than u care about him winning (at least for me).
i think the family emotions came on pretty strong, and both Renee and Crowe did a great job of putting it together. excellent acting on both their parts. somehow, it made a boxing movie less about the brutality than it was about the heart and spirit of the masses behind what the commoner perceived as a representative to their woes.
i do agree with a previous poster though that it started out kinda slow, but i feel it was necessary in creating the kind of endearing family bonding that Jim, Mae and the 3 kids have. throughout the first half i was constantly asking myself: " this guy's a boxer? well he ain't looking the part, but he's sure got a soul and a heart." great movie, just made my day.