Warrior

At first glance, Warrior doesn't seem to be an inspirational sports film, which caught me off guard when I saw the first preview. I was dubious that a film centered around a combat sport touting less than an R rating could succeed. The story follows two brothers who each have their reasons for fighting, with a back story of estrangement from an abusive alcoholic father as well as each other.

Tommy (Tom Hardy) is the muscle. A brutish caveman who fits the part of a fighter perfectly. He is a man wearing his personal guilt and resentment like a scarlet letter, and his only release is to pummel whomever is in his way. He returns from Iraq and jumps back into training with his father (Nick Nolte) to whom he has a very rocky past.

Brendan (Joel Edgerton) is the family man. A high school physics teacher who sneaks around fighting for small purses in strip club parking lots, and telling his wife he is bouncing for extra money when he comes home battered and bruised.

A Grand Prix style fighting opportunity piques the interest of both men; for money and for honor, and they end up competing in the winner-takes-all iron man tournament, ultimately facing each other in the finals.

With a story of such preposterous and obvious emotional manipulation, Gavin O'Connor does a nice job evoking the Disney underdog story aura from the film. It is just family-friendly enough to pass as more Miracle than the Fighter, which is probably what the idea was going for. Unfortunately for the cast and crew, that means it's not going to win any awards this year.

The sport of MMA has grown to become one of the most popular and widely followed on the planet, and unlike more traditional sports like football or basketball, MMA is purely gladiatorial. One punch can win a fight, and there is a sense that anyone can win, because it is in many cases true.

O'Connor contrasts the two brothers' fighting styles against each other with much intention and thought; Tommy charging in like a bull, dipping his head down between his enormous neck muscles, swinging his fists wildly and forcefully, hoping to land that one punch that brings catharsis to his numb and tormented soul. Brendan is more finesse, cautiously waiting for an opportunity to shoot in and pull a submission move. These two styles are often discussed and lamented among the pantheon of fight fans, and to pit them against each other yields a predictable result (which I won't give away).

The relationship with Nick Nolte is heartfelt and painful to watch, and Nolte shines brightly as a lonely and remorseful man who can't quite escape the demons of his past. He finds some redemption in the form of the championship bout, but there is never quite closure to the story, although I don't suppose there ever really could be.

The film glosses over much of the periphery and hones in on the two men, which is a smart move. The fighting is intense and realistic, and Kurt Angle makes a nice yet slightly ironic appearance as the menacing Koba, a Russian beast who is undefeated, and is the hands down favorite to win the tournament.

Hardy and Edgerton do a great job in this, both physically, and portraying brothers with Philly accents despite being from England and Australia. Hardy is a little more Rocky than he needs to be, but it must have been a fun and demanding film to make.

At a time of year when summer action movies are dying down, this is just what I needed. A shot of adrenaline in the form of a Disney sports story (Lionsgate actually). It's a great film worth watching, and will make you cheer, whether you are rooting for Tommy or Brendan. 8/10.