Outstanding film, true to Micky Ward classics.

Rating: 10/10 (23 December 2010)

I just saw The Fighter with my traditional Irish family, all of whom have a poor taste in their mouths left from past sports films that have fallen short of greatness. This movie is different. This movie IS great. I went into the theater expecting a mixture of the films Rocky and Ali, blended with a little bit of cheesy Mark Wahlberg dialogue. I expected to see a few fights, and I figured these fights would be unrealistic. I was very pleasantly surprised when I found myself clinging to the edge of my seat every time Marky Mark landed a blow on his opponent, or had blows dealt to him. Every hit was epic, and every cut was as juicy and gory as the real thing should be.
ON top of the fact that the fighting was supremely realistic, every fight that I witnessed throughout the film was also very historically accurate to the real Micky Ward bouts that have graced sports fans throughout history. Any fan of Micky Ward will be giddy with excitement when they see this movie because the director included commentary from the actual HBO-infused bouts. Commentators for the fights included Larry Merchant, Jim Lampley and Emanuel Steward, oh and let's not forget Michael Buffer. I was so pleased that I kept annoying my wife, saying things like "this is so real, I remember this!" "Oh you wanna know what happens in this fight?" And "honey, this nest fight is awesome, just wait!" Hopefully I didn't ruin her movie-going experience...
ON top of all this goodness, and lovely action, there is also the matter of acting... Mark Wahlberg, as many already know, is a bit limited in his acting abilities. Its not his fault, anyone who starts their media-driven career as a Caucasian rapper with more testosterone than Vanilla Ice is already doomed for a handicapped acting career. But to his credit, Mark Wahlberg was great, actually he was super. But.... the crowning achievement of The Fighter was the acting job of Christian Bale. He was jaw- dropping. Whether it be acting like a coked-out ex-boxer on the downslope of his life, or a loving brother who just wants his younger brother (Wahlberg) to look up to him, Christian Bale (Dicky Ecklund) was epic. He had me laughing, he had me biting my nails, and yes, he even had me getting a bit teary-eyed. Amy Adams did her part, she is edgy, and she has a nice caboose, and she also has a pretty good Irish accent. But if you miss everything in this movie EXCEPT Christian Bale's acting, it will not have been a wasted trip to the movie theater.
So, without spoiling anything more for soon-to-be Micky Ward fans, Mark Wahlberg fans, and Christian Bale fans, I will wrap this up. In the end, this movie is worth seeing in Theaters multiple times, and then seeing it again when it inevitably transfers to the $1.00 theaters,(we all do it, a dollar is a dollar). I have never ever reviewed a movie or TV show on IMDb and I came out of my shell for this film because it is just THAT GOOD. I haven't spoiled the movie, and I certainly haven't downplayed it. If you are a fan of terrific acting, terrific action, and Amy Adams booty, then why would you pass this movie up? Do yourself a favor this Holliday Season and take your brother, sister, mother, father, or significant other to see The Figher. Oh, and then go see Tron...