It's Still a Boxing Movie

Rating: 8/10 (5 February 2005)

I hate boxing. The only thing I hate more than boxing is movies about boxing. The only reason I went to see Million Dollar Baby was that it was the only one of the Best Picture nominees that I hadn't seen and there was nothing else playing.
The good news is that for a boxing movie, it is first rate. It ranks up there with Requiem for a Heavyweight and Raging Bull. The technical quality is great. It has a decent script, good acting, and a surprisingly atmospheric soundtrack.
Film critic Roger Ebert defended this movie by saying it not about boxing, it is about people. While that is true to a point, a lot of this film is about boxing and a large chunk of this film shows people boxing. The first 2/3 of the film is almost like Rocky except the acting and dialog is much better. The professional film critics have all agreed not to talk about the last third of the film except to say "it takes a dark turn." If you don't like depressing films, you should skip this one.
Overall, I gave this film a 8/10 rating. It's really good but it's a downer and it's a boxing movie.