|
Frequently Bought Together
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product details
|
Reviews
Amazon.co.uk Review
It would be a mistake to confuse The Fighter with the story of Mark Wahlberg, though the similarities are striking. Completely convincing as a boxer, Wahlberg plays welterweight Micky Ward, who grew up in working-class Massachusetts. Like the actor-producer, he had eight siblings, one more famous than the rest. Ward's half-brother, Dicky Eklund (a gaunt, crazy-eyed Christian Bale), turned to boxing first, just as Mark's brother, Donnie, preceded him as a performer (first by singing, then by acting). The similarities end there: Dicky, once known as "The Pride of Lowell," traded his promising pugilistic career for a crack pipe (Sugar Ray Leonard cameos as his best-known opponent). As David O. Russell's film begins, the smothering Alice (Frozen River's Melissa Leo) manages Micky's career, while the unpredictable Dicky attempts to train him. Despite his talent in the ring, though, Micky can't catch a break until he meets Charlene (Amy Adams), a spitfire of a bartender who encourages him to stand up for himself. When Dicky ends up in prison, and Micky takes on a more experienced manager, his fortunes start to improve, but it isn't in his nature to abandon the people who raised him, so he attempts to unite the various factions in his life before his shot at the world championship slips away. Though Russell paints Micky's mother, brother, and sisters with a broad brush, Wahlberg anchors the scenario with his patient, level-headed performance. Rescue Me's Jack McGee also deserves notice as his diplomatic dad, George. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Product Description
Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale star in this inspirational and powerful true story of two brothers who against all odds come together to train for a historic title fight that has the power to unite their fractured family and give their run down town what it's been waiting for: Pride. Struggling boxer Micky Ward has long been overshadowed by his older bother and trainer, Dicky, a local legend who is now battling his own demons. The explosive relationship of these brothers threatens to take them both down but at the heart of this story is a bond of blood that may just be their only chance of redemption.
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray
Movie starts off very slow. Christian Bale is definately the best actor in the film. He appears to have lost considerable weight and the fake bald spot on his head is very well done. (even if it's square. lol) Unfortanately the fight scenes and sound effects (that stupid thud every time someone connects a punch)are poorly choreographed and fumbly executed. The story is somewhat depressing with a prediticable uplift at the end. Not a bad movie if you've exhausted all your other options but probably not the first choice for a Saturday night.
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The Fighter is the true story of Micky Ward (Played by Mark Wahlberg - Shooter) a Massachusetts raised boxer who has spent his entire life in the shadow of his older half-brother - Dicky Eklund (played by Christian Bale - The Machinist) who once went toe-to-toe with 'Sugar' Ray Leonard and even knocked him down - probably. Micky is managed and trained by his overbearing Mother and now crack-addicted brother and begins to think that it isn't his capacity as a boxer that is holding him back, it's having to carry his family around. When Micky meets Charlene (Amy Adams) she gives him the courage & inspiration to stride out on his own and try for the welterweight title.
Draped in a true story, the Fighter is an epic 'against-the-odds' story of a working class hero. The Fighter is well acted, with both of the protagonists going through some pretty extreme physical regimes to play the welterweight boxer and crack-addict former boxer, it's all very convincing but given that Wahlberg is from a working-class Massachusetts family, it's not much of a stretch for him as he fits the role perfectly. More impressive is Bale's dedication to the role of Dicky, slimming down massively and learning Micky's distinctive Boston-drawl to play a very touching role of a man fallen from glory who's very existence is defined by a single moment in his past "I knocked down Sugar-Ray dontcha know?". The supporting cast are all very capable, especially Micky's mother who doubles up as his manager and his venomous gaggle of gossip sisters.
Whilst almost all boxing movies are compared to a Rocky this has a pretty minimal amount of boxing in it and really can't be. The final fight will have you on the edge of your seat as you will Micky to win the title, but by-and-large, the main dynamic of the film is Micky struggling with his brother whom he can't be without, his mother and his love-life. It's an honestly touching story and I ended up really feeling for the characters - it's that well directed by David O. Russell. The soundtrack is fantastic as well. So it's a great film and has won or been nominated for a slew of industry awards - the majority of which are Best Supporting Actor for Bale's performance of Dicky - this has to be to the chagrin of Wahlberg who ushered this from a script all the way to this cinematic epic.
Highly recommended!
Draped in a true story, the Fighter is an epic 'against-the-odds' story of a working class hero. The Fighter is well acted, with both of the protagonists going through some pretty extreme physical regimes to play the welterweight boxer and crack-addict former boxer, it's all very convincing but given that Wahlberg is from a working-class Massachusetts family, it's not much of a stretch for him as he fits the role perfectly. More impressive is Bale's dedication to the role of Dicky, slimming down massively and learning Micky's distinctive Boston-drawl to play a very touching role of a man fallen from glory who's very existence is defined by a single moment in his past "I knocked down Sugar-Ray dontcha know?". The supporting cast are all very capable, especially Micky's mother who doubles up as his manager and his venomous gaggle of gossip sisters.
Whilst almost all boxing movies are compared to a Rocky this has a pretty minimal amount of boxing in it and really can't be. The final fight will have you on the edge of your seat as you will Micky to win the title, but by-and-large, the main dynamic of the film is Micky struggling with his brother whom he can't be without, his mother and his love-life. It's an honestly touching story and I ended up really feeling for the characters - it's that well directed by David O. Russell. The soundtrack is fantastic as well. So it's a great film and has won or been nominated for a slew of industry awards - the majority of which are Best Supporting Actor for Bale's performance of Dicky - this has to be to the chagrin of Wahlberg who ushered this from a script all the way to this cinematic epic.
Highly recommended!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray
Right away from the very start this is very gripping. The performances are truly excellent, not just Bale, Adams and Wahlberg, but the entire cast. The script seems very realistic and the exploits of the characters are emotionally moving, grimly funny and always fascinating.
This is a proper powerhouse of sporting drama - with more emphasis on the drama. The boxing scenes are fun, but nothing close to something like Raging Bull or Rocky. That's really my one criticism - the story of Ward's boxing career is pretty unremarkable, until his epic trilogy with Arturo Gatti, which is not featured. Also, the underdog narrative is very tired and boxing fans know that Ward's "big shot at the title" never really happened the way it's presented (he never won a legitimate world title, despite being a real warrior). So that detracted from the overall quality of the film, for me, being a big boxing fan.
The audio-visual quality of the Blu-ray is very good, the picture is very crisp, sharp and consistent, the sound very effective. Overall this is a really good film and Blu-ray, well worth buying.
This is a proper powerhouse of sporting drama - with more emphasis on the drama. The boxing scenes are fun, but nothing close to something like Raging Bull or Rocky. That's really my one criticism - the story of Ward's boxing career is pretty unremarkable, until his epic trilogy with Arturo Gatti, which is not featured. Also, the underdog narrative is very tired and boxing fans know that Ward's "big shot at the title" never really happened the way it's presented (he never won a legitimate world title, despite being a real warrior). So that detracted from the overall quality of the film, for me, being a big boxing fan.
The audio-visual quality of the Blu-ray is very good, the picture is very crisp, sharp and consistent, the sound very effective. Overall this is a really good film and Blu-ray, well worth buying.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
So Ya Wanna Be a Boxer?
Two films about brother fighters in a week! What has become of the world! Whilst one was a fun, but silly (Warrior), the other would prove far grittier and real (The Fighter). Read more
Published 7 days ago by Sam
Just champion
I really enjoyed this movie. Although I'm not technically qualified to comment on the quality of the Blu-Ray I can say it seemed pretty good to me. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Tinners
NO RAGING BULL
HAVING READ REVIEWS STATING THIS FILM WAS IN THE RAGING BULL CLASS, I WAS I HAVE TO SAY A TAD DISSAPOINTED,IT IS A VERY WATCHABLE FILM BUT THATS AS FAR AS I WOULD GO.
Published 3 months ago by ROTHERMAN
a top dvd
This didnt take long for this dvd to arrive and played well,this is a great packed adventure film portraying a top fighter ,, deff worth checking out
Published 3 months ago by mr c gregory
OK in the Final Round
So slow to start with only gets going towards the end... Beign a true story I suppose they needed to get the facts in. Still nice touch as the real characters appear at the end
Published 3 months ago by Sharky
Superb
Very Good film with excellent acting from both Christian Bale and Mark Walhberg. Liked the extras to on this film as it said a lot about how the the film got off the ground.
Published 4 months ago by carolk
A Rather Formulaic Portrayal of a True Story Involving Strife,...
I watched this film on Blu-ray not knowing much about it, except being aware that the cast was lead by 2 renowned actors (Mark Wahlberg, also a Producer, and Christian Bale) and... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mr. Laurence Williams
Fighting fit
Yes, it's about as formulaic as you get; underdog sportsperson comes good despite family troubles etc etc... but, this is a fantastic film. Read more
Published 5 months ago by BPR
One of the best films of 2011
THE FIGHTER
(dir. David O'Russell/115 minutes)
This is a very good film (and a true story) about brotherly love, dysfunctional families and boxing. Read more
(dir. David O'Russell/115 minutes)
This is a very good film (and a true story) about brotherly love, dysfunctional families and boxing. Read more
Published 5 months ago by tigerthedog
Choreographed by Rocky VI
If you're a serious film and you rely on boxing action to tell the story, it has got to be realistic. This isn't. Some of the most unrealistic boxing I've ever seen. Read more
Published 6 months ago by J Tone
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/02/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192198663_.gif){kind=small}
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
