The real war is only within and between estranged love.
Warrior 2011 -
No doubt an explosion of cliches this one, but behind all that was already seen in other combative sports-oriented movies, Warrior (2011) some how managed to pull through.
Reviews were quite mixed for this accidental blockbuster. Some were disgusted by the repetition of concept, calling this movie the mother of all cliched sporting movies, and some generously decided to ignore this, concentrating on the art used to make this movie.
The movie is comparably inferior to a previous hit, The Fighter, starring Christian Bale and Mark Walhberg. Why? Well, other than using Mixed Martial Arts to set some distinction, we have seen the same storyline in every other movie belonging this genre. We have had Danny Devito at it… Stallone… Austin… Some other crappy actor who’s name I am sure I forgot on purpose.
Do not get me wrong, the movie is actually not all that bad. It had a storyline to potentially stand out and maybe even surpass the benchmark that Bale and Walhberg set. However, what should have been a family drama turns into a confusion of characters when unnecessary additions are mismatched into the storyline - for example, complicating Tommy’s character by adding in an AWOL case against him. Being a war hero was already stretching it, but then they conveniently had to make him the guy the whole “bad guy with hints of goodness” which was really irritating to watch especially since it was out of placed.
I really liked the character of Tommy’s older brother though. The role of Brenden was way more simple as compared to Tommy but yet more magnifying. There were so many shades to Brenden. The character on one hand represented strength, discipline and courage; and on the other hand also showed signs of insecurity and vulnerability, and flaw. The character was very much real. I found the angle of having an ex-UFC fighter turned Physics teacher transiting back to the ring very refreshing.
The acting was no doubt the main highlight in the movie! The last we had seen of Tom Hardy, who plays the disturbed Tommy Conlon, was in another blockbuster, Inception (2010). Hardy, known to be quite a talent, has done justice to his efforts in this movie. Though his character was obviously ridiculous, he managed the whole good boy-bad boy complex with ease. After watching a few of his earlier movies, which were low budget, its a wonder how come no one had set their eyes on this talent earlier. Joel Edgerton, aka Brenden Conlon, was another force altogether (though not surprised over his acting ability). The multi-talented actor/ writer/ producer pulls off not only a very difficult role but also makes his character so real that throughout the movie he evokes in the audience to feel for Brenden Conlon. Also, its pretty interesting how an Australian born pulled off a very Texas American accent flawlessly. Now, the one who takes home the bacon is obviously veteran Nick Nolte. The pivotal role of the “reason why the brothers turned out the way they did” rested on the shoulders of one Nolte who surpassed all his other memorable roles acting as Paddy Conlon.
Overall the movie was excessively character-based, almost like a Ken Follett book where the surrounding tells very little. The world of Mixed Martial Arts could have been explored more - to perhaps from time to time shift some light away from the family drama. However, the movie had some good surprises to keep audiences interested. Kurt Angle’s appearence as Koba was greatly appreciated. Fight scenes were good - not great. This is definitely not a movie for a UFC fan expecting to see some kickass action as the real war was only within and between estranged love; the ring was merely a plot device and not the centre of concentration. Nevertheless, as I have mentioned, the movie still pulls through as a decent, if not good, entertainer because of its talent pool.
