A Clint special

Rating: 8/10 (7 July 2006)

The themes in this movie have been addressed before in various guises, however, this is no reason not to address them again and I'm glad Clint did. Some of the themes I refer to are 'always follow your dream', 'be the best you can be and win against all costs', 'poor uneducated and unloved underdog comes good' and 'man seeks redemption'.
The acting is very good and the banter between Eastwood and Freeman is particularly enjoyable at points especially the bit about the socks. I would agree with some of the other reviewers who felt that parts of the film were manipulative and contrived as the family characters were so unsympathetic and hateful with no redeeming features that it does try to force your hand about how you are supposed to feel.
I also found the fight in which the main character, Maggie, is injured to be particularly annoying as the German fighter's cheating antics would surely have seen her disqualified as it was hardly illegal underground boxing. Also as there is no mention of the fight's aftermath and it would have been nice, but not essential, to know if the German fighter was indeed disqualified or banned from fighting. The fact that there is no closure on this issue made me feel a bit irritated as surely someone as passionate about her boxing as Maggie would have asked Frankie (Eastwood) when she was able.
Criticism aside I really did enjoy this movie and the way the bonecrunching (literally) scene was filmed it left me rubbing my neck and gave me an unforgettable 'inhalation through gritted teeth' moment.
This movie is definitely above average with good cinematography and sound quality. There are some memorable characters such as the 'evil' German boxer and Danger a hopeless gym member who mistakenly believes he is ready for his first fight.
It is really worth seeing if you like sentimental movies with an emotional premise mixed with good acting. Definitely worth an 8 out of 10.