Enjoyable

Rating: 7/10 (16 December 2006)

You've seen the plot of INVINCIBLE a hundred times, and yet the story never grows old. It is the same plot as ROCKY, and it just so happens the story takes place in Philadelphia in 1976, the year ROCKY was released. Mark Wahlberg is the underdog, a down-on-his luck, aging, divorced, part-time bartender from depressed South Philly who tries out for the Philadelphia Eagles, a team that has seen better times. A new coach (Greg Kinnear) tries the gimmick of an open audition for the Eagles, with no particular expectations. Unlike ROCKY, there are no bombastic moments until the very end. It is all very low key and underplayed, much like the guy himself who is very quiet and never believes for one moment he has a chance. A new love interest, in the form of fellow barkeep Elizabeth "Slither" Banks, gives the film an added touch. Wahlberg is great, proving once again he can act with the best of them, and Banks is very appealing as a savvy, not-so-young New York woman who has come to Philly looking for a new start. She also happens to be a huge Giants fan,which leads to some very funny moments.