A Final Act with a Powerful Punch

Rating: 9/10 (18 September 2011)

Some of the best fighting scenes I've seen in a movie. As I watched, I found myself flinching with every blow, wriggling around in my seat delightfully enraptured during these truly epic scenes. They are by far the best part of the film, and that's saying a lot. All the actors are outstanding and the emotional build-up at the end is so fantastic and gripping, that it's hard to put into words. Granted, the first half is very slow and a little cliché. Once you get to the halfway point the movie SKYROCKETS. By the beautiful, heart-wrenching, touching, action- packed, magnificent, and overall EXHILARATING, final act, you'll have forgotten all that might have been possibly slow from the beginning, for you will be truly captivated. The final minutes will make you want to weep and cheer all at the same time. I've never seen such a huge take off in a movie as this one, for the second half is just plain brilliant. Tom Hardy is a machine in this movie, a ball of tightly wounded rage and hurt that his opponents unfortunately feel as he viciously unleashes it ALL in the ring. While his brother, Joel Edgerton, is more stable, still dealing with his own heavy problems as well, but like his fighting style, is thoughtful and deliberate in his decisions. I'm tempted to say these brothers make up your protagonist and antagonist, but then I would be sorely mistaken. You have your clear-cut hero, Edgerton the good-hearted school teacher trying to save his family and home due to financial troubles, and your ANTI-hero (most of the time my favorite characters in movies) Hardy, the dark, complex, and untrusting war "hero" that cannot let go of his tragic past from both war and his earlier home life. Both these actors carry the film, both equally engrossing, and their inevitable confrontation at the end is powerful, brutal, and breathtaking. Nick Nolte is especially engaging, playing the formerly severe alcoholic father begging for redemption from his two sons. (I sense a possible Oscar nomination for him) Overall, this movie is brutal while thoroughly uplifting and touching at the same time, and it is speckled with some surprisingly humorous moments. It creates quite a build up, and the ending trumps and exceeds all possible expectations. The fight scenes are BEAUTIFULLY choreographed and are, once again, some of the best fight scenes I've seen in a movie. If your not an MMA fan you will become one after this movie. If you are an MMA fan, you will lose your mind with delight during this movie. Overall, the first half may be hard to stay with, but the movie eventually transcends into a gripping, emotional, heart-racing, and brilliant tale of two brothers with stakes higher than you can imagine. This one will have you on the edge of your seat, whilst you hold back tears. Warrior is a must see.
On one quick different note, if Tom Hardy's Bane is anything like he is in this movie, then Batman is sure in for a beating, because he is a MONSTER in Warrior. I cannot wait to see Hardy in The Dark Knight Rises for he has proved to be intriguing and captivating, while equally terrifying in Warrior. Seems like a great fit to me. :)