MDB is a great movie, but is it Oscar worthy? Maybe. *Some Spoilers*

Rating: 9/10 (2 February 2005)

Million Dollar Baby (2004) I realized after the Academy Awards were announced that I hadn't seen a single one of the Best Picture noms. Granted, Ray and The Aviator were the only ones that ever played at my theatre and I almost say both of them, but never did. When Million Dollar Baby came out in a late release here, I said "Why the hell not." I didn't go all January, this and Hide & Seek on the weekend would help make up for it. This was probably the one I would have liked to see the most afterall, besides maybe Sideways. Why? It has the same director as my personal choice for last year, Mystic River. Not to mention it is on a million critic's lists. So is this really the contender for the Oscar, or is it just Rocky with Swank instead of Stallone? Note that there are some mild spoilers in the Plot and Entertainment sections, but nothing I would fret about.
Plot: 22/25: Frankie Dunn (Eastwood) is a boxing trainer who has taught many boxers how to get to the top, only to be thrown aside once they get a shot at the title. He does his work at the gym belonging to his old friend, half-blind ex-boxer Eddie 'Scrap-Iron' Dupris (Freeman). When trashy Maggie Fitzgerald (Swank) asks for him to train her, he initially says no because he doesn't train girls. When she starts training at Eddie's gym constantly, he eventually caves and says he'll train her, but won't manage her. Skip along a little, Frankie, of course, becomes her trainer/manager. She has become an excellent fighter, knocking out most competitors in the first round. But when she gets her shot at the title, something happens that shifts the entire mood of the movie.
Essentially, this is two different movies in one. The first half is the very entertaining and surprisingly funny training part, while the second half, which I will not reveal at all, is the half that is nominated for the Academy Award. There are some problems, though. The plot seems a little stretched, having many worthless scenes that don't accomplish anything but make the film 2 hours and 17 minutes. There is also a big loose end involving Frankie's daughter that is never even close to tied up. In all, the plot is good. If you don't like one half, you'll probably like the other.
Boxing Action: 21/25: While there aren't any fights that quite match Rocky vs. Apollo Creed in the first Rocky, we do get treated to many more than Rocky ever gave us. Granted, most are very short, as Maggie has, like I said before, a tendency towards finishing in one round. All the fights are entertaining, often funny, so if you want a boxing movie, while this isn't really about the boxing, I still recommend it for you.
Acting: 25/25: The acting for this has been getting a lot of accolades, so I had high expectations, especially since the three leads all had Oscar noms. Eastwood (Dirty Harry) and Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption) are both very good in their roles, though, to be honest, it wasn't too much of stretch for them. The roles they played were similar to others they've had. Swank (Boy's Don't Cry), on the other hand, is extremely good here, and out of the noms for Best Actress, I am rooting for her to take the gold for a second time. The rest of the cast is well suited, and as I have no complaints, I'll give it a perfect score here.
Entertainment: 20/25: As I stated before, this movie changes halfway. The first half is very entertaining to just about anyone, for the most part, but the second half drags a little bit, with some scenes that seem unnecessary, as I stated in the Plot section. The whole boxing theme may throw off some more mainstream moviegoers and actually divert more serious moviegoers from seeing it.
Total: 88%: Million Dollar Baby is a great movie. Is it Oscar worthy? Maybe. Is it better than Rocky? Hard to say. Is it an easy recommendation? Yes. This a movie I can recommend to anyone who likes boxing, anyone who likes dramas, and almost everyone else too. It carries on here and there, running about 20 minutes longer than it should have and carries a couple loose ends, but it ultimately leaves you thinking about it the day after.