Nearly the film that Rocky should have been

Rating: 7/10 (23 April 2020)

Without doubt one of the most frustrating films I have seen in recent years. The performances of Tom Hardy and Nick Nolte are absolutely mesmerising and had the story been focused purely on the development of these two characters, this could have been the best fighting film ever made.
Instead we are subjected to a cliche-ridden piece of melodrama that is as predictable as it is sickly. There was no need to even include the Brendan character, as there was more than enough substance from the dynamic between Hardy and Nolte to make this film Oscar-worthy. The idea of a 30+ year old schoolteacher coming out of retirement to beat an undefeated UFC champion in his prime is an insult to the viewers and cheapens the entire production. The fact that two alienated brothers should meet in the final of such a prestigious event is equally ridiculous. On top of that we have the ridiculous overlay of commentary making it known exactly how meaningful everything is, just in case we were dumb enough to miss it.
This really should have been an Oscar-winner. The direction is incredible, the acting even better and it is one of the few fight films with accurate choreography. But it falls prey to an unforgivably corny script and ends being a huge waste of an incredible cast. This could and should have been Hardy's crowning moment but instead he is made to surrender the limelight to Joel Edgerton's paint-by-numbers hero.