One of the Greatest Sports Movies Ever Made.

Rating: Null/10 (6 August 2014)

A powerhouse of strong emotions, rousing action & gut-wrenching drama, Warrior is an ingeniously crafted & expertly balanced tale that bears every genre-cliché in its plot, has a predictable storyline and yet it manages to leave most of its viewers emotionally drained & immensely satisfied in the end. The dark horse of its year that came out of nowhere to surprise & stun almost everyone, this underrated masterpiece is in my opinion one of the greatest sports films ever made.
The story concerns two estranged brothers who enter the MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) tournament & covers their struggling relationship with each other as well as their father. Dealing with the themes of redemption, forgiveness & indomitable will of the human spirit in a thoughtful manner, Warrior is heavy on the emotional side of the drama that makes us really care for its deftly scripted characters which in turn makes its action segments all the more intense, gripping & compelling.
Written & directed by Gavin O'Connor, the movie is brilliantly directed with O'Connor perfectly weighing the emotional drama with brutal fight sequences both in the script & its execution on the film canvas. Cinematography is another plus as it makes excellent use of camera angles, focus & tracking shots to immerse us into its story while editing paces the whole film in a vigilant manner. And I've got nothing but praise for Mark Isham's remarkable score that keeps the emotions, tension & excitement alive from start to finish.
Coming to the performances, Warrior features a reliable cast in Joel Edgerton, Tom Hardy & Nick Nolte and all three have done a fabulous job in their given roles. Although Edgerton is the most stable of the three just like his character in the film, Tom Hardy is absolutely sensational, brutal & unstoppable in his role while Nick Nolte packs in with an intensely emotional performance as their father. Add to that, the MMA fight scenes are pretty accurate in its depiction, the ring-side commentary is even better & the entire tournament makes us cheer like our favourite sport does in real life.
Above anything else, I think the best thing about Warrior is its overall treatment & the sincere manner in which it explores its themes. The first half of the story beautifully lays down the groundwork for the next half by placing significant emphasis on its characters & their lives. Each characters' emotions, motivation & decision has a genuine feel to it and so when it all inevitably explodes during the tournament, the knockout punch is strongly felt and in the end, it becomes all the more difficult to choose a side as we don't want either to lose.
On an overall scale, Warrior should be used as a template for anyone looking to make a sports film. It takes its drama seriously, it deals with its sport segments in an authentic manner & it explores its themes without stuffing it in your face. Superbly directed, deftly written, skilfully photographed, tightly edited, magnificently scored & packed with vibrant performances, Warrior is one of the best films of its year, one of the prime examples of its genre & one of the most rewarding cinematic payoffs in recent memory. Strongly recommended.