An underrated fight movie with great acting

Rating: 8/10 (13 May 2016)

I'm not a big fan of boxing/fighting movies as they tend to always have the same key plot points : an underdog fighter with personal/family issues must find a trainer, preferably one with unorthodox methods, in order to compete against the top contestant. He usually wins at the end of an exhausting fight, and in the process, makes peace with his past and proves that believing in yourself accomplishes miracles. We've seen it dozens of times, from the originals that started it all : Rocky and Raging Bull, to Million Dollar Baby, Cinderella Man and the more recent Southpaw and Creed. And yet, judging by the box office results and the number of Oscar nominations, it seems we and the industry can't get enough of it!
What makes a great fighting movie then ? What makes it stand out ? As we've seen, it's certainly not the story; it's not even the fight scenes themselves. It's how realistically the fighter goes from underdog to champion while working on his personal issues. The physical transformation must parallel an emotional journey. In short, it's the acting, which explains why these films are usually nominated for best performance awards.
Warrior is a great example of that. On top of great performances by Edgerton, Hardy and especially Nolte, the film introduces a few differences from the genre that will make it stick in your memory : instead of the usual boxer/trainer dynamics, we follow the rise of two estranged brothers and their father (yes, two outsiders is better than one !). And the combat sport is mixed martial arts, which is a nice change of pace and will probably help make MMA and the UFC more visible. Real UFC fights can be really violent and bloody, but Warrior doesn't suffer from its PG-13 rating, as it manages to portray the sheer brutality of the fights in a convincing way.
All in all, Warrior is a great surprise : even if, like me, combat sports are not your cup of tea, it will still move you! Warrior truly is an underrated movie that deserves its spot in IMDb's Top 250. 8 out of 10.