Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton are the revelations of this superbly riveting exploration of family dynamics and mixed martial arts

Rating: 9/10 (7 August 2017)

This mixed martial arts drama is not your average everyday drama following an underdog rising from your average fighter to the holder of the championship title, it is a superbly riveting exploration of family and a brotherly bond that is tested to the limits. In other words, it is a film that does not try to level up with classics like 'Rocky', but simply being something with a heart and soul blossoming through the electrifying nature of its story. Plus, one of the few things differentiating from the Sylvestor Stallone classic is the sport in focus of his drama is mixed martial arts fighting instead of boxing. But the emotional core of the story lies not within the action inside the ring but what happens outside that defines the action following the bell ring. Even if there are a few moments that feel burnt up emotional manipulation, there is hardly a minute in its slightly overlong runtime that feels squandered. The movie is orchestrated by director Gavin O'Connor who has a solid cast by his side, ranging from Joel Edgerton, to Tom Hardy, to Oscar nominee Nick Nolte. This film follows Tommy Conlon (played by Tom Hardy), a disconcerted Iraq war veteran who returns to his hometown in Pittsburgh to meet his father (played by Nick Nolte) who is a recovering alcoholic after the abuse and neglect he laid on his family years ago. With his goal on entering a MMA tournament to the win $50,000 championship prize, Tommy asked his father to be his trainer. Meanwhile, his estranged brother Brendan (played by Joel Edgerton), a former MMA fighter, has retired and is now a high school physics teacher who's family is in danger on losing their house in foreclosure. After a night of MMA fighting gets him suspended on his job, Brendan goes against his wife's (played by Jennifer Morrison) wishes and enters the tournament with his old friend Frank (played by Frank Grillo) as his coach. When this puts him on a collision course with Tommy, the two estranged brothers must come to terms with their dark pasts perpetrated by their father.
The film more often not relies on typical clichés known the sports genre. Whereas as this serves as a detriment to most movies, this one goes for a more powerful approach and expands upon these clichés to present the fortitude of the story. The story is not all about MMA fighting or exercising male masculinity, it examines the harrowing family dynamics of the two central characters as they struggle to cope with their past that comes back to haunt them. Their old man was a drunk and abused them, and as a result, put a strain in the family altogether. When the two men finally come back to meet him as well as each other, their bond is greatly tested. This open doors to an exhilarating, yet emotionally raw climax when the two are forced to compete against each other in the ring. The MMA fighting sequences are superbly executed, shot with hand-held cinematography and staged such a powerful grit to the point where the heat and intensity of the fights are palpable. You may find yourself holding your breath. Nonetheless, it is the cold family drama that plays the golden role in the plot. And the performances by the cast which consists of mainly A-listers are the keys to lifting the atmosphere up high. Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton, both maintaining buff, muscular figures, are powerful revelations here and play their roles with an astonishing amount of emotional stride. Whether they are going head-to-head inside the rings or interacting with their family, these two do nothing to let a moment go to waste. Nick Nolte is also no exception, playing a man butchered by his past decisions and crying with a heart to do everything he can to keep his family together. But the question is, will the two brothers find it in their heart to forgive him?
Warrior is an electrifying family drama built on both the gripping performances by its two main stars and Gavin O'Connor's powerful exploration into the family dynamics and brotherhood. It is a film that will touch your heart and win it over. Whether or not one holds interest in mixed martial arts fighting is no matter, it is a gripping experience that will stay with you long after the credits are rolling.