Very very good!!

Rating: 8/10 (15 July 2005)

This is one of the best boxing movies so far. Aside from the thrill of the battle in the ring, it also entails a drama in the later part of the movie. It is a good combination and the good part is unlike rest of the boxing or fight movies, (except for raging bull which is a lifestory of a boxer), our hero doesn't win the final fight and reach the happy ending. This adds reality with a little bit of surprise. However, the boxing scenes of the movie is a little far from realistic. The punches are very accurate and strong. It reminds us the series "Rocky". The one-round knockouts are seriously far from reality (Hillary Swan does not really look like Mike Tyson, does she?). But as it gets closer to a real boxing bout, where punches are hardly on target, and where it takes rounds (most of the time it goes to decision, since these boxers are light weight) to win the match, it will get boring so this is the usual drawback of all the boxing movies, and must be accepted. Another thing is, after the injury, as we know she will never get up and fight again, and the story will end sad, some viewers may find the last 40 minutes slow and boring. Also our hero is presented as a very nice positive person. Life as everybody else is unfair to her. Her mother nearly hates her, all she thinks is her money even after the injury, thats a little too much. The "bad woman boxer" is also way out of boundaries of boxing and reality. Punching while the opponent is down? hitting clearly with an elbow? the last match was more like a UFC bout. No refs will allow that much, nobody with that consistent behavior may hold a title. If Clint Eastwood had watched more box matches before shooting the movie it could have been better. Against all these, this movie made its place in my memory.