more than just a movie for guys

Rating: 9/10 (9 January 2012)

Anytime a movie comes out that involves some form of boxing there's always a comparison to Rocky, and Warrior is no different. The only things the two films have in common are that they were very well cast and each movie is exceptionally well done; the similarities end there.
Gavin O'Connor, most known for directing Miracle, the very under rated film about the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, co-wrote, directed and makes an appearance in Warrior. A dramatic film about family and Mixed-Martial Arts (MMA), Warrior is more than just a run of the mill fight film. The movie is incredibly well constructed and nicely paced. At a run-time of 140 minutes, the movie never feels like it's running too long. The fight scenes are intense and brutally realistic, and the family dysfunction is all too real. Tom Hardy as the psychologically scarred Tommy Conlon, gives a very emotionally charged performance. Hardy's career has really started to break out, having recently been seen in Inception and playing the main villain, Bane, in the upcoming Dark Knight Rises. Joel Edgerton, who made his break as Uncle Owen in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, plays the financially strapped Brendan Conlon. Edgerton is convincing as a husband and father trying to do what's necessary for the betterment of his family. Jennifer Morrison, as Brendan's wife Tess Conlon, is very good and believable as a woman torn between her love for her husband and her fear of losing her family. Oscar nominated Nick Nolte, plays Paddy Conlon, father to the Conlon brothers and an alcoholic former boxer. It goes without saying that this is the best we've seen from Nolte, since Affliction.
As much as I enjoyed the film, I thought that it was a little over hyped. There were a few things that I felt were a little to convenient, like a Physics teacher being included in a battle of the top 16 fighters in the world. I understand that it was for the betterment of the story, but it just didn't sit right with me. I also felt Jennifer Morrison's character was underutilized and could have been a bit more developed. Warrior is a movie that guys will like for the fights; the idea of a Sparta style tournament in MMA is good one, and one that many fans would enjoy. Woman will like Warrior for entirely different reasons; such as the story itself that builds up to the finale. Although Warrior was marketed as a "guy" movie, it's definitely one that both men and women can enjoy.
Grade: A visit our site at www.twodudereview.com