Tremendous, Movie Sports Film

Rating: 9/10 (17 July 2013)

I like Mark Wahlberg in some movies, others I think he is just okay. In this one, I thought he was just great. he plays a truly likable former high school football player (who never played in college), but still hits the "gridiron" in pick up games in South Philly in the late 1970s. He's lost his job as a high school teacher and his wife left him, leaving a note that he will never go anywhere in life. Well, things change rather quickly when Dick Vermil (played strongly by Greg Kinear) takes over for the desperate, losing Philadelphia Eagles. Vermil decides to give walk-on tryouts to Philadelphia natives, as a publicity stunt. One person gets called to camp, and that's Wahlberg's character. This is a definite inspirational story, which is based on a true story, where the guy actually makes the team. Wahlberg's character has speed, intensity, passion, and will, and he becomes a special teams expert, playing 3 or 4 years in the NFL. Only downside,as I have learned in many of these "biographical" movies, is that while it was close to the truth, there were many things in the movie that turned out to be just plain false. but if you're watching Invincible as just a movie, and not a biography, then this is great one, which didn't get the critical reviews it deserves.