Warrior [Blu-ray]

There is a saying that "there are no new stories" and this is a case in point. As other reviews have pointed out the struggling under dog, two battling brothers, "father issues" and the one last chance to get what you want does mean that this could be the UFC Cinderella Man or coming out in the same year even a bit like the autumn version of The Fighter.

However if you accept that all films have a passing similarity to at least something that's gone before then this is a highly polished example of a familiar tale, it is further enhanced by an excellent script and brilliant acting, Tom Hardy in the space of a year has been the wise cracking forger in Inception, the skittish English spy in Tinker, Tailor and now the huge and powerful ex US Marine Tommy in the warrior, it's hard to believe it's the same guy in all 3 films and yet is completely believable playing these very different characters. Dare I say it, could he be this generation's De Niro? However the role of the now sober alcoholic and abusive dad was written for Nick Nolte and a bit like the character he's portraying Nick knows this could be a last hurrah and grabs onto the role with both hands giving a performance that is a master class in understated acting (surely a best supporting actor nomination in the Oscars?). Then Joel Edgerton plays the most likeable of the central trio as the MMA (Mixed Martial Arts- don't call them cage fighters!) fighter who after getting badly hurt turned to teaching, but now has to step back into the ring. He may not have the power house moments of the other 2 but he's the easiest character to root for as it's simply win fights or lose his house and as he has a wife and 2 small kids it's an emotional resonance perfect for the current domestic anxieties across the globe.

Indeed like the first Rocky this is a film very much of it's time- recession, foreign war, war widows are the current sign of the times and adds a level of reality to what isn't a true a story but in the future you will just know this has to be set around 2011. However the main thing to add spice to this impressively grown up mixture is this is an MMA sports film not a boxing film and that's an important difference, having only ever seen 1 UFC fight on TV I was not ready for the electrifying fights. We've all seen enough boxing in films to know the basic moves even if you aren't a fight fan, however here almost anything goes, so you go from familiar exchanges of punches to powerful kicks, to the gasps that will come out of you when somebody gets thrown to the floor, to being up close and personal in the horrifyingly intimate grapples. There's simply more for a film maker to show then just above the belt punches and blocks. This is what makes the quest of the central characters even more frantic and even a little tragic- these are desperate men indeed.

A must see film that didn't make a huge wave under initial cinema release, possibly because the topic wasn't the more familiar boxing, possibly because there were no big names either in front of or behind the camera but this film needs to get a bigger audience and hopefully here on DVD/BluRay that discovery will start.

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Without knowing anything about the film, the title Warrior evokes images of a gung-ho Hollywood action piece. All brawn, and no brains. But Warrior is anything but.

The premise is actually nothing new. Two brothers from a troubled family, both fighters with their own problems, and an ex-acoholic estranged father looking for redemption, and a national cage-fighting tournament with a $5 million winner-takes-all purse. So far, so unoriginal, and in many ways Warrior plays out like you would expect. Those looking for originality need not apply, but those who take the trouble to watch this will enjoy a riveting piece of film-making which has become one of the stand-out moments of 2011.

What Warrior does well is tell a great story. As I say there's nothing original here, and ultimately the events are somewhat unbelievable. But if you can get past that you'll see great characterisation, a solid script, and action sequences which will please anyone but a UFC enthusiast.

Both Edgerton and Hardy put in sterling performances, but Nick Nolte really steals the limelight with an oscar-worthy performance of the father trying to make amends with his sons.

The third act is thrilling, if a little unrealistic, but I couldn't help but be gripped until the end credits rolled. Even my wife enjoyed it, and that's saying something as a movie about fighting is the last thing she would usually choose to watch. All in all, I'd rate this as one of the very best movies of 2011, only surpassed by masterpieces such as Drive. It's not perfect, but to give this 4 stars feels almost churlish.

A word on the BluRay. Some reviews have commented on the poor transfer, but there's alot of common misconceptions out there. There is a heavy veil of grain throughout much of the movie, but this is exactly how it's supposed to look. Either due to the film stock used or the application of digital grain, this is exactly how the director wanted it to look, and people need to remember that BluRay is designed not to "make everything look good", but to preserve the original artistic intent to the highest quality. In this regard Warrior on BluRay does just that. It's not going to win any awards for "reference" image quality, but it has a filmic quality to it and that's all you can ask. Audio-wise, dialogue can sometimes be difficult to hear so you may need to turn up the volume.

Highly recommended.

My Brother in Law loves UFC and has tried to get me interested in it for years. It hasn't worked and this film has done nothing to change that.

Warrior is more of a film about a dysfunctional, destroyed family finding their way back into each other's hearts, and it's a damn riveting and emotional journey. You will cry, of that I'm quite sure. Even my Brother in law who is a heavy weight lifter and built like a beast turned into a weeping mess.

The acting is some of the best I've seen in ages, the characters are full of depth and the story allows this symphony of perfect components to chime in beautiful sychronicity. Nick Nolte and Tom Hardy are particularly brilliant.

Alongside Drive (which is possibly an aquired taste) this is the best film of 2011.

The only downside came from some of the fights in which the director did a little too much close-up filming. I suppose this was to make you feel like you we're in the audience with people, rigging and the cage obscuring your view, so you're constantly shifting in your seat. Although effective, I found it ever so slightly annoying, but not enough to ruin the film by any stretch.