Another Helping of Entertaining but Recycled Storytelling

Rating: 6/10 (23 August 2006)

Like the movie's lead character, Vince Papale, "Invincible" is just good enough to be worth the price of admission. Fair warning though: while it may keep you in your seat, it's unlikely to ever keep you on its edge.
As a Philly homegrown living in Wisconsin, I found myself out of place inadvertently rooting on the dramatized Eagles games during the sneak preview I saw two weeks ago. The action was very real, and from the superimposed Veterans Stadiums backdrops to the opening chorus of booing from the often disgruntled Philly faithful, the movie facially carried a degree of authenticity.
Yet within the many layers and contours that are spoon-fed to you mercilessly (Papale represents the common man in us all; we live vicariously through our athletes, especially when they're homegrown; if you're a moral guy, you'll get the break and possibly the hot girl at the bar, etc. etc. etc...), you're left with nothing more than an artificial showcase dessert with a hollow filling.
Here's the rub: the movie lacks a niche. While "Invincible" is geared towards the kids (I'm not so sure "darn it" and "heck" were common lingo in the 1970s Eagle's locker room), the movie's legitimacy hinges on its fairly apparent devotion to historical accuracy. But unless you're an NFL die-hard or a Philly alum alive during this era, you get lost in the lingo and the football references. Thus, the movie has the tenor of a G rated flick, with the context of something significantly more mature.
Not surprisingly, Disney once again plagiarized from themselves by borrowing from their cash cow zero-to-hero storyline reminiscent of "The Rookie" and "Miracle." Sure this is a winning formula, but it gets trite after you realize that for the seventh time in a row you called dead-on what the next plot sequence would entail.
In the end, you leave slightly more upbeat than you started, and you smile cause we all carry a little Vince Papale within us. But when you wake up the next morning and the co-workers ask how the movie was, you'll surprise yourself when you have to pause and consider whether you actually saw a slice of movie magic or you were just briefly satisfied by a small helping of icing.