Make sure you go and see 'The Fighter'

[Jeff Thomas]

Just watched it now and its absolutely brilliant. Loved it from start to finish. Christian Bale is outstanding- few mistakes, omissions here and there- but doesn't detract from the story.

5/5 if I was jonathan Ross

[Tommy Gunn13]

Just watched it now and its absolutely brilliant. Loved it from start to finish. Christian Bale is outstanding- few mistakes, omissions here and there- but doesn't detract from the story.

5/5 if I was jonathan Ross

Is it out now Jeff??

[Bennyblanco]

Feb 2nd

[MightyWarrior]

It's not bad, more like 3/5 I'd give it.

Bale is excellent as the hyped up coke freak bother, and Mark W gives a very good low key performance as Mickey Ward ( who you can see sitting ringside in one of the fight sequences ) but the story sketched in the film is a bit slight.

They ran out of money, and had to cut half of the proposed story out of the picture, so all you get is Micky going on his winning run up to his "World Title" win - which as we know, wasn't really a world title, but one of Frank's..I mean the WBU's cut rate vesions.

[Jeff Thomas]

Just watched it now and its absolutely brilliant. Loved it from start to finish. Christian Bale is outstanding- few mistakes, omissions here and there- but doesn't detract from the story.

5/5 if I was jonathan Ross

Is it out now Jeff??

No mate- but as a matter of respect I will be going to support despite having an illegitimate copy.

[Tommy Gunn13]

Just watched it now and its absolutely brilliant. Loved it from start to finish. Christian Bale is outstanding- few mistakes, omissions here and there- but doesn't detract from the story.

5/5 if I was jonathan Ross

Is it out now Jeff??

No mate- but as a matter of respect I will be going to support despite having an illegitimate copy.

haha

[chiggsy]

Watched it meself the other night and thought it was excellent.
Like jeff said not completely accurate but accurate enough for most boxing boffins not to spend the entire film saying ''f uck off that didn't happen''!

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

Watched it on a Chinese torrent three weeks ago, it might be an accurate reflection but isn't Christian Bale's Dicky Ecklund an annoying fornicator! I liked Wahlberg as Mickey Ward though, he was really good.

They left a lot of it out, his first title shot against Cool Vince Phillips and his fight vs Judah but I suppose they only have so much time to make a film - 4/5 - very good. This is the torrent site if you fancy downloading it.

www.funshion.com

[stujones]

Now that they've earned a good few bob of profit - you think they could make a sequel with the rest of his career.

[Chambers2]

3.5/5

If the film is close to reality then Mickey came from a vile family. I'd have preferred to have seen a film on Dick Eklund, what a boy he must've been

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

Now that they've earned a good few bob of profit - you think they could make a sequel with the rest of his career.

It seems to have been written with a sequel in mind. How Mickey and the family copes with fame, jealousy etc.

[MightyWarrior]

3.5/5

If the film is close to reality then Mickey came from a vile family. I'd have preferred to have seen a film on Dick Eklund, what a boy he must've been

I think it is, because as you see in the end credit shot, it looks like both Mickey and Dick gave their approval. His mum looks a bloody nightmare, and his ( 8 ?? ) sisters are scary as hell. Two fisted brawlers the lot of em - and I did hear that his sisters are exactly like that. It's a wonder he came out of it all as such a relatively normal bloke.

[Chambers2]

3.5/5

If the film is close to reality then Mickey came from a vile family. I'd have preferred to have seen a film on Dick Eklund, what a boy he must've been

I think it is, because as you see in the end credit shot, it looks like both Mickey and Dick gave their approval. His mum looks a bloody nightmare, and his ( 8 ?? ) sisters are scary as hell. Two fisted brawlers the lot of em - and I did hear that his sisters are exactly like that. It's a wonder he came out of it all as such a relatively normal bloke.

Agreed, it seems like Mickeys Missus had alot to do with his turn in 'fortune'. His Mother is scum

[DavidPayne]

Not seen it yet. Heard complaints about the mistakes but it can’t be as bad, or as damaging, as Cinderella Man.

Ooooh dear that was bad.

I also heard a rumour Denzil Washington really did it as well.

[Poncey]

Well acted but average overall IMO.

[chiggsy]

Didn't like hurricane simply because i believe carter is guilty as hell

[DavidPayne]

Didn't like hurricane simply because i believe carter is guilty as hell :o

He can't be.....surely:-)

[Neri]

average film, worth a watch for the boxing fan but didn't live up to the hype imo.

The biggest scandal was giving Shea Neary and his trainer thick irish accents!!!

[boxingchat]

Didn't like hurricane simply because i believe carter is guilty as hell

He can't be.....surely:-)

So that's makes Bob Dylan a Liar too. I need to sit down. You are saying that, that law abiding good citizen Ruben Carter was innocent, course he was, everyone in prison is innocent aren't they?

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

course he was, everyone in prison is innocent aren't they?

Terry Marsh certainly was!

[littlekinny]

Didn't like hurricane simply because i believe carter is guilty as hell

He can't be.....surely:-)

So that's makes Bob Dylan a Liar too. I need to sit down. You are saying that, that law abiding good citizen Ruben Carter was innocent, course he was, everyone in prison is innocent aren't they?

As far as I know Dylan refuses to sing this song now - and has done for a good few years.

[jBacca]

average film, worth a watch for the boxing fan but didn't live up to the hype imo.

The biggest scandal was giving Shea Neary and his trainer thick irish accents!!!

Thought I was going to have to comment on this then.

Terrible isn't it? Do your research boys.

[IRLangmaid25]

Just seen heard this http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12275475 Joe Calzaghe gives the thumbs up as well and thinks the fight scenes were authentic, mainly because Mark Wahlburg is a fight fan himself and has been a regular visitor to the Wildcard Gym in Los Angeles

[Dirk Kelly]

Think I must be in the minority here as I didn't like it at all.

Marky Mark gives his usual performance bit like Keanu Reeves, Bale is excellent but he is in all films, the Mum was good as was the sisters and father.

But for me the film tried to blend the best of boxing films but ended up failing, kind of like trying to be a jack of all trades master of none.

For the family element see Split Decisions.

For fight scenes see Snatch.

FOr build up to fights, commentary etc see Rocky Balboa.

And for comedy possibly The Great White Hype.


I think I was expecting great things reading the reviews here but just didn't get it.

If the film is a reflection, his sisters must be butt ugly in real life - why didn't they stick them at ring side during Ward's fights, and told his opponents if he won he'd have to sleep with them - Mickey would still be P4P champion even now!

[Deserter]

Bizarre coincidence - just literally walked in from watching it tonight (it's already in the cinemas over here) and this thread was top of the pile as soon as I logged on.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, thanks almost exclusively to Bale's performance, which was just astonishingly good. I thought Wahlberg was nicely understated, which was undoubtedly the right play given the tour de force that was Bale and given what I know of Ward's character.
It's a solid, feel-good movie, but I couldn't see anything in there worthy of Oscar nomination bar Bale's turn.