This was a very entertaining film with just the right mixture of action, drama, romance and intrigue. The latter - a big shock that occurs two-thirds of the way through the story - gives it its unique flavor. Otherwise, it's still a nice story of fathers-and-sons and the love and respect that's so important between the two of them. It also involves husbands and wives reconciling.
I've seen Samuel L. Jackson in a lot of movies and so I am quite aware what a fine actor he is, so I wasn't surprised he was so good in this film.
So, The Black Dahlia was a fluke. Hartnett can't really act. Sam Jackson proves he can at least play a caricature. The screenplay is the tragic flaw. Every character is a loser and there's no momentum beyond the first act. It's all over the place, just a mess.
Ce que j'anticipais comme un film ordinaire et cul-cul se trouva a etre un superbe film non-previsible, touchant et rempli d'une belle petite morale. Samuel L. Jackson est en general tres juste dans son role et donne une tres belle performance dans cette histoire qui coule tres bien sans longueurs, avec un beau look photographique. A voir!
See this movie for Samuel L. Jackson's performance. This is the first new character I have seen from him in a long time, and he is brilliant at it. I suppose the story is supposed to be a moral lesson, and it is engaging, but there is not a likable character in the entire movie. In the end some characters are redeemed, but I wasn't cheering for them the entire movie so it had little payoff. But, as Kernan points out, writing is like boxing, and so is this movie. It is filled with introspective analysis of what it means to be true to yourself, take pride in what you do, and be honest with those you love most.
A nice movie with some good acting from Josh Hartnett and Samuel L. Jackson. This one got me from the start and keep me absorbed with it until the end. What more can you ask for in a movie?
Very good movie that I enjoyed watching for its honesty about humanity, relationships and the importance of being true to ourselves. loved it, would watch it again!
This movie really caught me by surprise. I'm not a huge fan of Hartnett, but a big Samuel L. Jackson fan. I was expecting to see another dull boxing movie like every other but what I got was a very touching story of a man forgotten by history and of father-son relationships. Jackson was fantastic as the old homeless boxer and really made the film in my eyes. I was pleasantly surprised.
I must admit that Resurrecting the Champ literally knocked me out somewhere around the end of the 7th round of a bout scheduled for 10. I hung in for as long as I could, but eventually I was overcome by fatigue. The one-two combination of Josh Harnett's ringside, rope-a-dope, sports reporter and Samuel L. Jackson collecting a paycheck as the homeless, ex-champ was too much for this fighter to take. I'd suggest you start your endurance training now if you plan to get in the ring with these two anytime soon.
This was a great film. It stands alone as do the performances given by Jackson and Hartnett. The juxtaposition between the two characters is heartwarming, and full of life lessons. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie.
Great cast, but only good performances - except for Jackson, who is even hard to recognize. Hartnett is certainly on his way to becoming one of the best young actors out there!
I thought this movie would be stupid, and about boxing, but it was not. It was about the true things of reality, what could happen to yourself. It had quite an emotional impact to the end of it. Josh Hartnett as a father figure is always fun to watch. It wasn't boring, but nor kept you at the edge of your seat. It was overall interesting to watch, and unlike other movies, it had a hell of a story, confusing, but it all adds up to a good movie.
Based upon a true story, this film might have made a greater impact had the writing been better. The actors did a great job, even without a great script. Samuel L Jackson was magnificent. The story is filled with good morals, and I'd really hoped to rate this one much higher. The poor writing had me begging for the movie to end. The 3 star rating is for the actors and the persons they portrayed.
A young sports writer helps a homeless bum after he is attacked by teenagers. The bum turns out to be a former boxing great who was thought to be dead. He writes an article on the boxer but discovers many confusing questions about his past. Samuel Jackson was great in the role as the homeless boxer!
In the technical sense, the film is well directed and edited. The cast is spectacular with solid performances by all; including Alan Alda and Samuel L. Jackson who simply put is spectacular. The characters are very believable and no one actor overshadows another... the film has balance, is well paced and does not confuse the viewer.
While this move is set around a newspaper and boxing, this is really a movie about fathers and sons. It embraces the understanding that we are not all perfect and that it is OK not to be. It dwells at the dilemma of what fathers must do when their children find out that they have flaws, and the pressure sons have to live up to the heroics of their fathers. This is the kind of film that you will go and see and then talk about for hours afterwards. Highly recommended!
excellent movie based on a true story of a writer at the denver times who wrote a story about a boxer who because of issues with society was living as a homeless person to turn around and have the story be a total lie because the homeless guy was another boxer not the real one and have to write another story with apologized. on topf of that he is trying to save his marriage and be able to be with his son. this movie is funny, uplifting, does have violence and drama. overall a great film. I HIGHTLY RECOMMENDED IT. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm not much of a Sam Jackson fan but he did a good job in this movie. Not really a sports flix, Good Story Base. Worth the buy or the Rent, Will add to my collection.
(5-03-08) This is a great story about a sports writer who needs a good story to keep his job, he meets a bum in an alley who claims to be Bob Satterfield a former boxing champion. At first, the sports writer only wants the story and the respect of his son and colleagues. He soon discovers that there is more to this homeless man than meets the eye. Great acting by Samuel L Jackson, one of his best roles ever.
I had never heard od the story till I saw a preview for the movie a while back. The cast was excellent, Samuel can't do no wrong, even in his bad movies. The story was very compelling and sucked me right in. Very interesting, funny how easy it is still to believe...but good. With all the bad you do wanna believe when something sounds good...
This movie isnt bad at all, its wasnt what I expected, but it was still a nice movie to watch. Samuel L. Jackson performance in this movie is amazing, and the story is warm and nice.
Josh doesn't really do it for me. There's something disingenuous about him. In this film he continually brushes back his hair like he's Andrew McCarthy or something - this I find to be annoying and distracting.
Aside from that, this story is pretty decent, but it didn't really have the emotional impact it should have. It's kinda cliche and predictable unfortunately. The worst offense of this film is that it drags you slowly through this journey and leaves you unsatisfied in the end. Montage with a voiceover. Eat my ass.
While watching the movie I found myself so caught up in the story I forgot Sam Jackson was the homeless boxer. This was Sam's best performance in his career and too bad it isn't getting much recognition for it either. The movie even has a nice little twist in the end. The movie is rated PG-13 for violence, language and alcohol use.
As much as I am a phenomenal boxing fanatic...This was a pretty good drama...along the lines of "Million Dollar Baby"...with the feel bad for the broken professional fighter theme in it...it was pretty good. This time a investigative reporter has it's turn on hard it is to report..."the news"... See it!
The performances are fantastic! I've always had my doubts with Samuel L. Jackson, sometimes I even think that he is a little overrated, but lately he's been proving me wrong by delivering very very well. Here he really managed to show the pathetism of his character and to appeal to us, expectators, for empathy. Then there's Josh Hartnett! He is one of my favorite young actors there are right now. He always gets hsi stuff right, and makes watching him just a sweet thing to do. Still, though both of them were excellent, I didn't get to love this... I was not hooked on the movie, not even once! I was even a little bored, and yes I felt pity for the characters and everything, but the plot was lacking something... it was... lets say... weak in some areas.
Pretty good movie, I really liked it. When up-and-coming sports writer Erik Kernan saves a homeless man from a scrape with a group of rowdy college kids, he unwittingly finds himself face to face with no ordinary bum, but Champ, the one-time boxing great Bob Satterfield. What begins as a story resurrecting a once-great man turns into an incredible journey, and an opportunity for Erik to reexamine his own life, his relationship with his young son and his recently separated wife.
MCT:July 10, 2008
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MCT:April 24, 2008
