A pandering to the lowest box office denominator of UFC, elevated to higher art by Tom Hardy's performance.

Rating: 7/10 (5 January 2012)

I saw this film in a Oscar vote distributed, DVD version, whose sole purpose is to garner Oscar buzz and the resultant addition gross dollars involved. Unlike it's contemporary Real Steel who panders to the same audience, but seeks to gets it's additional (Undeserved?) $ Umph from shameless, demographic cross marketing, including Action Figures, a Hip Hop soundtrack (while the EM&M-less, Danny Elfman OST is available through entirely different platform marketing in it's own more demure... dare I even say whiter and more Christian offering).
Warrior sought it's market in it's less dollar bankable, but more respectable stars (maybe they should have saved a little more for the writers) and the producer's obvious hope that this film, despite it pop-populist plot roots insuring a bottom line box office, that more, it could join the pantheon of great films that have pugilism as their backdrop, and through that BE A CONTENDER (insert marbles in mouth here) and through that reach respectable return and distribution beyond what it would otherwise have reason to hope.
While Tom Hardy is not givin' much to say, beyond the tear jerking, jingoist, overall mass arena appeal guidelines of the overall, utterly implausible, screenplay (How stupid, or special interest media manipulated, are we to believe legions of reporters and their editors are, not to mention the United States Marine Corp; that not one of their ranks figured out these two guys are brothers, one of whom is AWOL from active duty, until 12 hours before they meet in a nationally televised, media market saturated casino "event")... Or not much more anyway, than that which forces the often gifted Nick Nolte to look at best effect, like a character from a A&E historical recreation or a 2 tissue vignette, pulled out for plot device, much like violins in afternoon TV.
Still, Hardy's performance transcends the mediocrity around him, and he, and he alone, on pure power of performance, literally carries this film from drivel to destiny. I think it not unfair to say any post opening weekend buzz you hear, or reason's told that you should watch it, especially in after theater release, do not stem from professional shooting and editing techniques super imposed on UFC fighting (which are themselves unquestionably serviceable-but do no not a contender make-or TT3D would be getting a nod as well). It is from Tom Hardy's gritty animalistic and indomitable performance, that in spite of it's cynically contrived and marketed background, stands out like maybe no other from the year 2011 and which moves this film, singlehandedly, from a low 6 to a high 7.