Packs a pretty good punch

Rating: 7/10 (18 December 2010)

Without being spectacular, the Fighter throws enough good punches, and provides enough compelling drama (both inside and outside the ring) to be certainly worth a viewing.
Sometimes it feels familiar, sometimes it feels fresh. What drives the movie more than anything is the way that the overall performance quality shines through. There is not one underplayed role in the movie. If there is a breakthrough of any sort in the Fighter it would be Christian Bale. One could easily argue that he delivers his best performance yet in the fighter. Personally I'd still give that title to American Psycho, but this one is less likely to be a controversy. Amy Adams breaks some new ground as well, having gone from playing small and frail, to putting on a few pounds, and picking cat fights.
The Fighter is a collaborative effort. It doesn't quite break enough new ground to pass for great but, it's a good movie, and a very good boxing movie.