Play It to the Bone (2000)

12% of critics liked it
(78 reviews)
29% of users liked it
(9,982 ratings)

After covering baseball in Bull Durham, basketball in White Men Can't Jump. and golf in Tin Cup, writer, director, and obvious sports fan Ron Shelton takes on the world of boxing in this comedy. Vince Boudreau (Woody Harrelson) and Cesar Sota (Antonio Banderas) are close friends and aspiring boxers… More After covering baseball in Bull Durham, basketball in White Men Can't Jump. and golf in Tin Cup, writer, director, and obvious sports fan Ron Shelton takes on the world of boxing in this comedy. Vince Boudreau (Woody Harrelson) and Cesar Sota (Antonio Banderas) are close friends and aspiring boxers struggling on the lowest rungs of the fight game. When a major boxing promoter needs to fill out the card for a heavyweight bout in Las Vegas, Vince and Cesar both get the call to head out to Sin City. But the excitement sours when they realize that there's a small problem: the promoter's schedule has the two pals fighting each other. Play It to the Bone also features Lolita Davidovich, Lucy Liu, Tom Sizemore, and Robert Wagner. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 2 hr. 4 min.
Directed By: Ron Shelton
Written By: Ron Shelton
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Comedy

In Theaters: Dec 24, 1999 Wide
On DVD: Aug 28, 2001

Critic Reviews

Tom Keogh, Film.com
This is still Ron Shelton in good -- not great, but good -- form here, and the rewards are plentiful.
Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
Lacks the pizazz of Shelton's best stuff.
Jay Carr, Boston Globe
Play It to the Bone isn't going to be a contender.
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
By the end, the fight means everything to them and virtually nothing to us.
Jeff Millar, Houston Chronicle
OK for laughs but less OK for emotional investment with the characters, who feel more like comic constructs than the real-feeling guys.
Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
...Shelton's second-best idea for a boxing movie.
Aileo Weinmann, Filmcritic.com
I didn't watch Play It To The Bone - I sat through it.
David Luty, Film Journal International
For the first time in a Shelton sports romp, everybody loses.

Read all 8 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Lucas M

Awful, unfunny comedy and not good drama that just make you lost time and an opportunity of watch a really great film. Rotten.
danny d

really fun flick to watch if you wanna see something brainless but entertaining
Michael G

I didn't despise it but I didn't give it another thought until I typed this up.
Leo L

Great!

Cast

            Antonio Banderas as Cesar Dominguez

            Woody Harrelson as Vince Boudreau

            Lolita Davidovich as Grace Pasic

            Tom Sizemore as Joe Domino

            Lucy Liu as Lia

            Robert Wagner as Hank Goody

            Richard Masur as Artie

            Willie Garson as Cappie Caplan

            Cylk Cozart as Rudy

            Jack Carter as Dante

            Jim Lampley as Himself

            George Foreman as himself

            Larry Merchant as himself

            Darrell Foster as himself

            Steve Lawrence as Himself

            Mitch Halpern as himself

            Chuck Hull as himself

            Buddy Greco as himself

            Kevin Costner as himself

            James Woods as himself

            Mike Tyson as himself

            Rod Stewart as himself

            Gennifer Flowers as herself

            Tony Curtis
            
            Aida Turturro
            
See full cast