Buy The Fighter Movie. Watch online or Download
Genres: DramaSportBiogra
Starring: Christian Bale, Jack McGee, Mark Wahlberg, Amy Adams, Dendrie Taylor, Melissa Leo, Frank Renzulli
Director(s): David O. Russell
Available Quality: Hi Def
Country: USA
Year: 2010
Available Quality: DivX, Hi Def, iPod, Hi Def, Hi Def
IMDB Rating: 8 out of 10 (97342 votes)
The Fighter, is a drama about boxer Irish Micky Wards unlikely road to the world light welterweight title. His Rocky-like rise was shepherded by half-brother Dicky, a boxer-turned-trainer who rebounded in life after nearly being KOd by drugs and crime.
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The Fighter (Hi Def) | Resolution: 1920x800 px | Total Size: 10064 Mb |
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Visitors Review
(20 May 2012)
The Fighter Is A Champ
The Fighter is a movie that works on so many levels it's as dense as ablack forest cake. Based on a true story set in Lowell, Massachusetts,about two boxing half brothers (their mother had a lot of love togive), Mickey Ward, played by Mark Wahlberg and Dicky Eklund, played byChristian Bale, it opens with Bale and Wahlberg sitting on a livingroom couch. Bale is a revelation; motor-mouthed, twitchy, punchy, anddoesn't seem to have a lot upstairs. Believe that at your peril.Wahlberg sits quietly next to him. He's the kind of actor you canactually watch thinking.Dicky's claim to fame is that he once knocked down Sugar Ray Leonard(who makes a brief cameo appearance). Now both he and Mickey are partof a road crew when they're not in a gym. Dicky trains Mickey forfights his mother the gorgon manager sets up for him, one of which putshim in the hospital.The way The Fighter surprises and confounds your expectations keeps youon the edge of your seat, along with director David O. Russell'scutting back and forth between parallel scenes of Dicky on the prisonphone with mother while Mickey battles a powerful Mexican opponent.It's like cage match dancing.The fights are not just physical. The family and girlfriend fight forMickey's allegiance. A new manager pits Dicky against his brother.Which ties will be stronger: the anguish of the family or the temptingopportunities? The low ebb between the brothers comes when ChristianBale, desperate to compete with an outside offer to pay for trainingfor Mickey, pimps out his girlfriend and gets into a fight with thecops. Mickey hears the commotion and runs to intervene, only to havehis right hand crushed by an overly zealous policeman.An HBO movie-within-a-movie ties the characters and the action evenmore tightly. Bale (and the viewer) believe the documentary is abouthis knockout of Sugar Ray Leonard when it is actually about hisdownfall due to crack addiction. As Bale watches the documentary in theprison auditorium surrounded by fellow inmates, Russell cuts toWahlberg desperately calling his ex-wife to ask her not to let theirdaughter watch it. She gleefully refuses, telling him she want her toknow what kind of man he is. In another scene the bleary eyed mothershoos Bale's little son away so he can't watch it. When Christian Balesuddenly realizes that he is the subject as the crack addict as we hearthe filmmaker within the film say Bale will end up in either thecemetery and prison. Cut to Bale's face behind bars.The fights are taut and visceral. You can feel the body blows and getinto the clinches. It all leads up to the climax which reveals the truenature of the brothers' tiesThe cast, especially Bale who seems to do his own stunts jumping out ofa second story window several times, are great. Amy Adams playsWahlberg's love interest, a salty tongued college-educated bartenderwho is one of the very few characters who is not afraid of mother. Shecan give as good as she gets and doesn't take guff from anyone. She'salso great-looking.Wahlberg is terrific with intelligence, torment and restraint writtenall over his face. He's the rock who's shuffled aside by the mother'sfantasies of Dicky's comeback and bears gamely under his ex-wife'sabuse and his family's manipulations. I read that he trained for threeyears to get into shape for the movie and it shows.Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson wrote the screenplay, whichsounds authentically working class Lowell.
ciblesie (19 May 2012)
Misleading and Overrated
I want to start this off by saying that this really and truly is aremarkable story but whole campaign that they had going on for thismovie was that of a "Rocky"journey and it just wasn't. That was only asmall part of it. The real centerpiece of the story was Dicky'sjourney. It wasn't a boxer doing the impossible, it was about theinternal strife within a family, the dichotomy of two brother's (onewho threw away his shot and the other who didn't want to make the samemistakes). It was about Dicky's journey back from the dark side as muchas it was about Mickey's chance to overcome the impossible. More thananything, it was Mark Wahlberg's story and journey to get this filmmade that emulated the "Rocky" tale that the studio tried so hard topush.I'd just like to lastly point out how awesome it is to see ChristianBale get an Oscar after being ridiculed for his performances in TheDark Knight and Terminator Salvation. Nice comeback!
kunalkhandwala (15 May 2012)
Certainly packs a winning punch
The inspiring story of an underdog who reaches the limit of physicaland psychological brutality to achieve the ultimate title of achampion, makes Boxing movies such as 'Raging Bull' ,'Rocky' and'Million Dollar Baby' the worthy Oscar legends. But beyond theconventional premise of the underdog, the true story of Micky Ward ofLowell, Massachusetts deals with the battle against his blue-collarfamily whose sheer incompetence and obstinate approach leave him beatenand bruised. Micky is exceptional because his tougher mental andpsychological fights are against adversaries who are closest to him.The Fighter is not only director David O Russell's finest work but alsothe fruit of Mark Wahlberg's relentless pursuit of the Ward story as aproducer and actor. Micky is trained by his half-brother Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale), thepride of Lowell, who, with his wide open eyes, Irish-American accentand inflated pride, walks around town as the legendary boxer whoknocked out Sugar Ray Leonard (who may have tripped and fallen) whilehis footage is being covered by HBO for a supposed documentary markinghis return to boxing. On one hand, Micky is faced with his trainer whois unashamedly untimely and unprofessional due to crack addiction andon the other, he is 'managed' by his obdurate mother, Alice (MelissaLeo), who inevitably wastes his chances in the arena with all thewrong/unfair matches he is coerced into. His only respite is with thebeautiful but unabashed bartender, Charlene, whom his sisters detest asan 'MTV girl'. In Charlene's companionship, Micky finds hope to make itto the big league and an escape from the madness that is the Wardhousehold. Charlene's adamant goal for Micky becomes an unlikely matchfor Alice's authority over his career and while their confrontationsare intense, they also provide the entertainment through the stupidityof the Ward sisters, who in the background, are a loud and obtusehippie bunch. After an ugly row with the Police, Ricky is imprisoned and in hisabsence, Micky enters the arena with a new trainer, professionalmanager, dedicated lover and skills passed on by Ricky to finally seekhis shot at the title.The film is as brilliantly poised in the ring, as it is outside of it.Through some magnificent performances, we are able to feel some emotionfor each of the characters. Amy Adams as the beautiful Charlene, has apractical understanding of Micky's predicament and that makes hercharacter lovable. Melissa Leo as Alice portrays an authoritativetenacity that is easy to hate while the sisters provide theunsophisticated, uneducated look at the whole situation. Mark Wahlbergwent through a transformation to get into Micky Ward's character. Bothphysically and psychologically, he portrays a range of emotions hischaracter goes through and is subjected to. After sustaining 5-6 roundsof beating in the ring, he delivers one decisive blow to knock out theopponent. This is what he learnt from Ricky and this is what heshowcases to us as an actor. He grows with every scene within the movieitself. Then again, this is what he does best. Sturdy and focused, hefights all odds to emerge victorious. But the exemplary performance hasto be that of Christian Bale. He is actually Incredible as RickyEklund. He quickly erases any memory of the Machinist or Bruce Wayneand walks into the loose shoes of the swagger whose pride is hammereddown by HBO's documentary on crack addiction. Being used to placidcharacters so far, he transforms into this heavily accented, slim andblunt character whose demeanor and eccentric ways can only beovershadowed by the athlete in him that eventually trains Micky tosurpass even the best fighters. This has to be the best performance ofBale's career. Recollection of older boxing films is inevitable when it comes to thefight scenes but as Micky and Ricky walk to the ring to the signaturetune of Whitesnake's Here I go Again, the anticipation mounts andthereafter, Russell and the cinematographer deliver each punch with theharmony of agonizing jolts. For those who grew up with posters of'Rocky' in their rooms, The Fighter sure as hell, packs a winningpunch!8.835 on a scale of 1-10.
Saad Khan (14 May 2012)
The Fighter is a Crazy Dramatic look into the life of Dysfunctional family of Mickey Ward. Highly Entertaining.
THE FIGHTER Â CATCH IT ( A ) The Fighter is truly a pleasant surprisefor me as wrestling or boxing movies have never been my forte but it'sgood to see that it's more about dramatic dysfunctional family ratherthan just Boxing. The True story of Irish Mickey Ward and his brotherDick "Dicky" Ecklund is a really inspiring. The best thing about themovie is that its fast paced and clever, there are no loose or slowmoments in the movie. Mark Wahlberg played Mickey Ward with utmostdedication and essence. Christian Bale, what an actor he is, in everymovie he becomes the character and in 5 seconds we completely forgetthat he is the BATMAN. He not only lost his weight for the role but healso lost sophistication too, which was highly required for DickyEcklund. He truly deserves all the awards and accolades.. Besides MarkWahlberg and Christian Bale, the women of "The Fighter" are also theTrue Fighters. O'God Melissa Leo is Spot On as Agonizing Mother; shelooked so effing real that it's unbelievable. Its not like we haven'tsee roles like that it's just What Melissa Leo brought to the role wasCommendable. Amy Adams yet again gave a brilliant performance as MickeyWard's girl friend. The way she stand up in front of Mickey's mom andpainful 7 bit*h sisters was Outstanding. Whenever she opened her mouthit amazed it. Bravo! The Se7en sisters were fun to watch. Overall, TheFighter is a Crazy Dramatic look into the life of Mickey Ward. HighlyEntertaining. Must catch it!
livinloud191 (14 May 2012)
The Fighter
In this drama, Mark Wahlberg stars as "Mickey Ward" showing thestruggles encountered on the way to the top. Mark portrays the dramaticand tragic choices stupendously through his brilliant acting. Trainswith the one who "knocked down Sugar Ray Lennon", Mickeys brother,Dickey causes turmoil throughout Mickeys training, due to Dickeysaddiction to crack. A movie crew, capturing the real life of a crackaddict, captures Mickeys relationship with his brother and girlfriendat the time. Struggles between his family and his wanted career path asa boxer, Mickey is torn between which to go for. This drama, based on atrue story, seizes the strength and will power Mickey had to "Go ForGold".
(13 May 2012)
One of the best boxing movies I've ever seen! (3.5 stars out of 5)
One of the best boxing movies I've ever seen is Mark Wahlberg's The Fighter (2010). It's right up there with Cinderella Man (2005), Rocky (1976), Rocky II (1979), and Rocky IV (1985). It may even be the best boxing movie I've ever seen...but only time will tell for sure. Right now, I consider Cinderella Man my favorite. I haven't seen Raging Bull (1980) yet, and while I liked Million Dollar Baby (2004), it just didn't pack the same emotional punch for me as a guy. I give The Fighter 3.5 stars out of 5. Which may seem low to some, but I'm comparing it to every other great movie of all time, not just boxing or sports movies. This is a film that definitely deserves consideration for my Top 200 Movies of all time. So it's rating may go up subsequent viewings.What stands out about The Fighter compared to Cinderella Man and the Rocky films is the photography of the actual boxing scenes. The Fighter used the actual 1980s camera crews from HBO who filmed some of the "Irish" Micky Ward fights that this film is about. They even used the same cameras from that time period to give the same look and feel to some of the footage of the fights, like you're watching them live almost. It's the combination of that incredible cinematography, the awesome sound effects and music, and the stellar "acting" by Mark Wahlberg and his opponents that make the fights feel so real. I was literally squirming around in my theater seat during every boxing match in the film. It was just such a visceral presentation that made me feel right there in the ring, ducking punches and feeling battered & bruised.Part of what really lends a realism and emotional depth to the boxing in this film, is that Wahlberg actually trained as a boxer for 5 years leading up to his role on the film. It took that many years and more to get the film made, and while he was fighting to get this movie produced, he was training so that he didn't just look like he was acting. And it handsomely paid off! The best parts of The Fighter are in the ring. But there's an awful lot to love outside of the ring as well. Christian Bale plays Dicky Eklund, half brother of Micky, a former boxer himself, and Micky's trainer. Dicky is most well known for his fight with Sugar Ray Leonard. But Dicky has fallen into a drug habit that keeps him from being effective as a brother, a boxer, or a trainer. He even winds up in jail for a period of time, where he is finally forced to get clean. That forces Micky to get a new trainer, but Dicky comes back as soon as he gets released. The brotherly bonds prevail after all! Bale plays Dicky very well. I can't say that I really liked the Dicky character, although he redeems himself towards the end of the film. But Bale's performance is definitely worthy of his recent Best Supporting Actor nomination. He inhabits the role like no one else could, like it or not.The real out-of-the-ring punches come in The Fighter from two incredible women: Amy Adams as Micky's girlfriend and Melissa Leo as his mother. Both give unbelievable performances that are probably their best to date. They literally fight with their hands and their words. They've both received Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actress in honor of these roles, so they will continue their onscreen "fighting" offscreen at the Academy Awards later this month. I'm personally cheering for Leo to win since I think her performance just edges out Adams, and her body of work for many years has earned her the recognition in my opinion. In addition to Adams and Leo are a gaggle of Micky's sisters, some of whom are actually played by Micky Ward's real sisters. They definitely add some spice to the mix, and help create some incredibly tense family scenes. Actor Jack McGee really shines as well as Melissa Leo's boyfriend, and Micky's stepfather. The beating he takes both emotionally and physically from Melissa Leo's character is one of the most memorable "fight" scenes I've seen in awhile! It had me laughing and feeling sorry for him at the same time!Director David O. Russell, mostly known for Three Kings (1999), really had his work cut out for him here. And he rose to the occasion beautifully! The Fighter is not nearly as flashy of a film as Three Kings, but it's got this solid, gritty, cinematic realism and incredible emotional depth to the storytelling that makes it engaging. Whereas Three Kings was more unique in terms of filmmaking style, The Fighter is more classic in its style. But it's very effective. I found the pacing at some points to be a little slow and boring, but overall, the film flowed pretty smoothly. I think Russell did the best that he could with the story he was telling.The cinematography, outside of the ring fights, is adequate. This is probably the area I was most disappointed. The film felt a little too gritty, grainy, and gray for my taste. Granted, it's also the 1980's and the feel of the area where the story takes place, so I think the filmmakers chose to lend it that very realistic look and feel. Still, I like to say great camera work, and that just didn't happen in this film for me. I'd be willing to say that it could have just been the theatrical presentation itself. I've noticed some of the theaters have some crappy projectors sometimes. I'll be curious to see if I feel the same way when I watch the film again on Blu-ray at home.The production design on the film is perfectly suited to the story, but like the cinematography, it didn't really stand out for me on a purely artistic level. While the music score by Michael Brook was a bit weak and could've been stronger, the rock songs used throughout the film really worked well, especially the song "How You Like Me Now" by The Heavy. That song is definitely now the song I hear when I think of The Fighter. It's permanently etched into my brain with this film, and it really works in the movie to build-up energy for a fight.There's a lot to like with The Fighter. I didn't really have any expectations going into the theater for this film. In fact, I was expecting to be less satisfying based on some critics' reviews. But I'm very glad I saw this film in the theater, because that big screen presentation with the loud sound system really helped this film knock me out. If I were you, I'd catch in the theater if you can, but I'm sure it will play well at home as well.
Rob616 (10 May 2012)
the movie may be enjoyable but DON'T BUY THE DVD!!!!!
I gave this 5 out of 10, because i haven't yet been able to actuallyWATCH the movie. I rented the "DVD" and I can say that THE DVD DOES NOTWORK!!! I have several DVD players, and this disc did not work in anyof them. When I first put the DVD in, an error message popped upreading that the disc was unplayable. On the second attempt it justplayed the movie studio intro over and over repeating the first 9seconds endlessly. Finally on a different DVD player, the movie DIDstart, except it skipped to halfway into the movie and had no sound.This disc was new and had no scratches. I'm assuming that theyattempted to put so many different copy-protection schemes on this discthat it is no longer a true DVD. avoid the disc. wait for it to beavailable through netflix streaming or some other means.
hughes44-193-11944 (10 May 2012)
Family Dysfunction
On the Merriam-Webster website, the word "dysfunction" is defined as"an abnormal or unhealthy interpersonal behavior or interaction withina group" (M-W.com, 2011). In The Fighter (Russell, 2010), Micky Ward isa boxer who is a long way from being the fighter that his crackaddicted half-brother Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale) used to be. Mickyplaces complete trust in his boxing career with Dicky and their motherAlice Ward (Melissa Leo). As his career stagnates under the directionof his two family members, Micky meets Charlene Fleming (Amy Adams), abarmaid who wants to escape the life she is in. As Micky and Charlene'srelationship progresses, Charlene is able to have Micky see that Dickyand Alice's control extends past the ring and into his life. Separatinghis career from his family allows Micky to become the fighter that hewants to be and eventually the champion that Dicky could never be.Boxing movies usually have the same universal theme which is overcomingobstacles to reach or stay on top. The first installment of Rocky(Avildsen, 1976), is the story of Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone)overcoming his obstacles and Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) to win thetitle. In Rocky, the climactic scene is Rocky fighting Apollo to winthe title. In The Fighter, Micky Ward is a fighter similar to Rocky.The fight scenes are long and Micky absorbs a lot of shots. Thesubjective shots in The Fighter have the viewer in the ring with Micky,absorbing the punches that Micky takes. Much like Rocky, Micky usuallyfinds a way to win in the later rounds over an opponent that is biggerand stronger than Micky. In The Fighter, Micky becomes a champion inthe ring by taking control of his career and his life. There are many fights that Micky has to win. Micky has to overcome hisdomineering mother, Dicky's demons, and the chorus of sisters that makeup his dysfunctional family. With Charlene, Micky realizes thatdivesting himself of his family's dysfunctions allows him to grow as aboxer and a person. The dialogue between Charlene and the family aretense and confrontational with Micky being caught in the middle. Thesequence of scenes in prison between Dicky and Micky shows Mickybreaking free of Dicky's shadow and becoming his own person. Micky'ssisters add to the dysfunction that Micky has to deal with by notaccepting Charlene. As Micky rises to the top, he is able to define hisfamily's role in his life. Reference Page Avildsen, J. (Director)(1976). Rocky DVD. Russell, D. (Director) (2010). The fighter DVD.
erikjensenjr (10 May 2012)
Great sports movie - but more than that, an overall great movie!
"I loved this movie - it offered both a compelling story and greatsports scenes. I also thought the acting was wonderful - melissa leo,amy adams, Christian bale, and mark wahlberg were ALL excellent. Youare drawn in my each and everyone of these characters.I love how there were multiple interesting and engaging stories - thefighter, the brother, the family, the girlfriend...This movie is definitely more than a typical "sports" movie - there isa lot of depth here, made all the more powerful since this is based ontrue events.I love sports dramas and this was one of my favorites.
gutsy_gibbon (09 May 2012)
Real life story of "Irish" Micky Ward fails to deliver the knockout punch
Considering that most Hollywood movies mainly involve characters andstory lines in idealistic settings where everyone is rich, wealthy,well to do, this movie was interesting insofar as it formed the reallife story of the boxer "Irish" Micky Ward and showed the conditions ofa lower middle class Irish household in New England and a boxer whocomes from such a setting. There was another movie similar to this,released a couple of years ago, The Wrestler (2008), that showed thereal conditions that are faced by some wrestlers in spite of theglamorous setting in which they are portrayed on television. It appearsthat some directors are beginning to see that showing the everydayconditions faced by ordinary people can be appealing to audiences.Overall, this movie had some positive points with good performances,especially by Christian Bale and its characters were well-formed, butthe storyline and presentation lacked depth and one came away feelinghalf-disappointed with a movie that showed a lot of potential, butfailed to deliver the knockout punch.After reaching a low point in his career where he gets knocked out by abigger boxer, Micky Ward (Mark Walhberg) receives encouragement fromgirlfriend, Charlene (Amy Adams) to get back on his feet and train witha new trainer since his previous trainer, Dicky (Christian Bale), is injail. After this, the movie starts on the standard feel good,"rags-to-riches" storyline.The movie also has one of the two main characters, Dicky, beingvideographed for a documentary about which he does not know what it isabout. Being a crack addict, he is not even aware of being involved insuch a documentary. His character is an interesting one insofar as itis a morality story about crack addiction, a rags to riches tale and ananti-hero, all mixed in one. Of course, talking about crack addictioncannot be considered simply as a morality tale as it is a major issuefaced by millions of people in the United States and other countries.When Dicky gets caught by the cops and is about to be dragged away, thereaction shown by his half-brother, Micky, was a spontaneous one andthis scene was a reminder of the situation faced by many ordinarypeople who have to deal with cops in one way or the other.An important disappointing point about the movie were the characters ofMicky's sisters, about all of whom we see nothing other than they justseem to "hang around" the house without doing anything. This seemsstrange as it is shown that their mother, who forms the character ofthe failing businesswoman, seems to be the only earning member of thehousehold and that she earns around $20,000 for each fight that Mickytakes part in. With such an income, we can conclude that it is notpossible to support the seven sisters and they must be working too. Wenormally do not see such characters as the sisters shown in this moviein Hollywood movies. However in the movies of such directors as KenLoach, we do find characters of real working women and the conditionsfaced by them. Though it is not mainly about them, this movie does notattempt to portray them in a good light at all, but instead they areshown mainly to be bellicose, lazy "hangers on".After much training and encouragement from his new trainer andgirlfriend, Micky goes on to win his fight with a Mexican boxer. Mickythen is given an opportunity for a title fight, which he accepts. Inthe title fight, which takes place in London, we see that his opponentis a British boxer. In many Hollywood movies, the character of thevillain is played by someone with a (many a time, faux-) British accentand we knew from the start of the fight that his opponent had to losethe fight since he had a British accent. Thus, the movie forms astandard rags to riches tale which forms one of the staple types ofmovies that roll out of Hollywood ever so often.
Jim Gilligan (04 May 2012)
What makes a fighter
Despite the inevitable comparisons to other movies about boxers("Rocky," "Raging Bull," and even "The Wrestler"), "TheFighter"Âalthough its protagonist is a pugilistÂwould still be called"The Fighter" even if he weren't. The toughest of Micky Ward's fightsdo not occur in the ringÂthey occur with his family and himself. Thisis ultimately a film about fighting against the restraints that preventus from achieving our potential (those self-imposed and those imposedby family members who claim to have our best interests in mind). MarkWahlberg delivers what is probably the most understated and effectiveperformance of his career, Christian Bale is astonishing as hiscrack-addicted brother who insists on perpetually reliving his ownsingular moment of boxing glory, Melissa Leo is amazingly detestable astheir Medea of a mother, and Amy AdamsÂbest known for playing meek,sweet, likable charactersÂdisplays impressive range as Micky's feistysupportive girlfriend who's battling some demons of her own. Everythingabout this film is utterly greatÂfrom the performances to the script tothe directing of David O. Russell. "The Fighter" is, so far, myfavorite movie of the year (and yes, I'm including "Inception"), and Isee Oscar nominations for everyone.
Jeff Schrembs (03 May 2012)
Jeffrey Schrembs review of The Fighter 2010
The cast is...exceptional. The movie is...wonderful. The plot line,based upon a true story, is well acted and well paced. The charactersare believable and do not hide away from their flaws, burdens, and evenfamily infighting. Very seldom do you have one major movie star who soencaptures the essence of his/her character that you really forget theyare in fact...actors. In this movie the main characters are sobelievable at times it appears as a documentary. This is EXACTLY whatmovies should be about...the struggle of real Americans using thetalents they are given...and never giving up. Take care and may Godbless you. Jeff Schrembs
edwbur (30 April 2012)
the fighter has a lot of fight
this was a surprisingly good movie. i had hopes just not high because iheard that it had a lot of mistakes. i thought it had some but not asmuch as they said there was. Christian bale was excellent. he lost alot of weight to look more like a coke addict. mark whalberg was OK.but Christian bale looked like he cared more about this project and putmore acting into it than mark did. but mark was good. Amy Adams sobeautiful in this. she came from ms. saint from doubt to ms. tough girlin this and pulled it off very well. i thought the plot was goodbecause it was a true story so you were more interested in it than youwould be if it wasn't a true story. i couldn't believe though how markscharacter family was so mean to him and only cared about his healthbecause he made money for them. they cared more for Christian balescharacter. and he doesn't box. he did but then stopped and trained hisbrother who his mark whalbergs character. and the family says theresorry but who cares. somehow in marks characters good heart he forgivesthem. i wouldn't. i would try but i couldn't. and if i did i couldn'ttrust them. anyway it was a good movie and i say, see it.
Neil Welch (29 April 2012)
Enjoyable kitchen sink boxing drama
Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) is a moderately talented boxer, youngerbrother of his trainer Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale), who himself onceknocked down Sugar Ray Leonard before he ended up addicted to crack..This film follows Micky's career path, and the influences on it of hisbrother, his girlfriend Charlene (Amy Adams) and his mother Alice(Melissa Leo), together with various other figures.I wasn't expecting to enjoy this film. A long-term project ofWahlberg's, and based on true events (and presumably brought to thescreen with the co-operation of the two brothers, who are featured insome footage as the credits role), it is one of those dramas - there isvery little humour here - rooted in run-down urban America featuringwhat appeared to be a story of a decent man with potential, supportedby a good woman, but ultimately doomed to be dragged down by theimportance to him of his family, leading to his being let down by hisunreliable petty criminal brother who he idealises, and his appallingmanager/mother and herd of harridan sisters.The story didn't go exactly as I expected, however, and I rapidly cameto care about Micky so much that I wanted to see things through to theend. The fight sequences were very well staged and, while I wasn't upon my feet cheering, I felt like it.Looking at performances and award nominations, I felt that Bale wasrather too cartoony, particular in the early scenes, and Melissa Leowas rather one-note (if the film was indeed made with the co-operationof the two brothers, then heaven only knows what mother and sistersmade of the monsters they are portrayed as). On the other hand, I verymuch enjoyed Amy Adams playing against type, and Wahlberg's performanceof quiet sincerity also appealed greatly.
jdkraus (26 April 2012)
The only regret I have about this film is that I did not see it in theaters.
Though "The Fighter" presents itself as another boxing movie, it hasmuch more to offer. The story's focus is Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg),who dreams of winning a boxing title. The plot includes therelationships with his bartender girlfriend (Amy Adams), his brotherDicky (Christian Bale), his mother (Melissa Leo) and the remainingmembers of his family. Despite Wahlberg being the lead, the supportingcast steals the show. Both Bale and Leo won Oscars for their performances. Having seen this,both thoroughly deserved them. I've seen Bale in many movies, datingback to when he was a kid. He has really grown up and engulfed himselfinto his character, which goes on a path of drug abuse, prison, andlater redemption. His character is a jerk to the core, yet he buildssympathy for his character. He's hard not to like; he's funny,charming, and knows how to throw a good punch. Like Bale, Leo adds quite a few layers to her character. Rather thanfollowing the one- dimensional villainous mother, she comes off assomeone to pity rather than despise. She does what she thinks is rightfor her son Micky, but she's so blinded by this that she fails torealize what he really wants. "The Fighter" could very easily havefallen into the category of a soap opera (and to a degree it is), butit so much better and more believable via such powerful performances. David O. Russel has made a well-done masterpiece. "The Fighter" willmake you laugh a lot. It will engage and move you. And it may even makesome cry. The only regret I have about this film is that I did not seeit in theaters. Even so, I am glad that I viewed this film, and I willdefinitely watch it again in the future.
griffolyon12 (26 April 2012)
The Pride of Lowell, Massachusetts!
Two brothers. First there is Dickie, a crack addict, who just alsohappens to be a washed up fighter, now trainer for his younger brother,who is boxer "Irish" Micky Ward. Then, there is Micky, a boxer who mustbattle his own family before he can become a legend in the ring. TheFighter is a familial drama with some sports in it, but like all of thegreatest boxing movies, it is when the characters are outside of thering that the movie wins one over.Micky's family is what one would call a convoluted battle of the wills.They do not take too kindly to outsiders, or doing things outside ofthe family, so it is no wonder that neither Dickie, Micky, nor theirsisters are married, and you'll fully understand this when you meettheir domineering mother, Alice, played to crisp perfection by MelissaLeo. Adding to the strain is Charlene, Micky's new girlfriend, playedexceptionally well by Amy Adams, who sees the potential in Micky to besomething great, but he must first overcome his family and become hisown man if he is to be champion. Actor Mark Whalberg is theheart-and-soul of the movie as Micky Ward, and what more can anyone sayabout Christian Bale's no holds barred performance as Dickie. Thismovie is an actor's showcase, featuring some of the best acting youwill see in a longtime, and I think a lot of the credit should go todirector, David O. Russell.Russell shoots everything very naturally, there is a flow to it, likethe human observer watching these things unfold rather than himintentionally leading us by the hand and manipulating us like so manysports movies have done. I've gotta say, the fight scenes filmed likeHBO fights on television was a brilliant choice, not to mention theopening credits when Micky and Dickie walk like kings through thestreets of their hometown of Lowell, Mass., these and so many otherscenes are just some of the more finely crafted scenes to be projectedon the big screen in a long time. In the end, the movie still managesto be uplifting and makes you wanna cheer Micky on, but you don't feelas if you were watching characters, but real people persevere andsimply live, that is The Fighter's strong suit, and it is better forit.I give The Fighter a 10 out of 10!
(24 April 2012)
An amazing film, an instant classic
I knew some about this Lowell family, but not the full story. I'm glad I didn't, because the plot's freshness was a bonus on top of a superbly acted, gritty, real-feel movie that deserves every accolade heaped on it from all directions. Bale is amazing, as is the entire cast. The chorus of the sisters is one of the most frightening, anxiety-inducing sights ever on film. The fight scenes are great when they need to be, but it's the human stories that will leave such a huge impression.
(24 April 2012)
The Fighter Review
THE FIGHTER STARRING: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo, Jack McGee and Mickey O'KeefeWRITTEN BY: Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson and Keith Dorrington DIRECTED BY: David O. Russell Rated: R Genre: Drama Release Date: 17 December 2010 Review Date: 11 December 2010 I wonder if Christian Bale knows he's going to win the Oscar for best supporting actor. I sure do. His portrayal in The Fighter, of a crack-head who still knows the art of boxing in and out regardless of how messed up he is, was flawless and groundbreaking. There's no doubt in my mind he'll win, let alone be nominated. He lost an impressive amount of weight for the role and he steals the movie every bit as much as Heath Ledger stole The Dark Knight from him. Mark Wahlberg stars as a Rocky-type underdog boxer from the Boston area, named Micky Ward. He doesn't have quite the loveable presence that Rocky had, but it's the supporting characters in his life that make this film amazing. Micky's crack-head brother Dicky is his trainer, and his chain smoking foul mouthed mother, Alice (Melissa Leo), is his manager. Picture the family in the other great boxing flick Million Dollar Baby, who only cared about Hilary Swank's character's money. Micky's mother and brother are kind of similar, only they know he can box, and they hold interests in his career primarily because he's their cash machine. The poor schmuck that Micky is, he's too nice to stand up to them and seek a new management team. When he meets Charlene (Amy Adams) however, she ignites something in him that drives him. She shows him what it is to have someone care for him regardless of his profession. This is perhaps the missing element that was holding him in place as a good fighter, rather than a great one.We've seen a lot of the things in this film before, but they are handled with artistic originality and The Fighter isn't just another boxing movie. It's about family, relationships, dreams and life choices. And don't get me wrong, it's got a lot of boxing in the mix too. Let's just talk about boxing for a minute. There's something very cinematic about it, isn't there? I don't even like boxing all that much, but I love boxing movies. It's easily my favorite genre of sports movie. Maybe it's the notion of one guy that we care about, taking brutal punches to the face. When we match-cut that with the obstacles he faces outside the ring - now we have two very dramatically entertaining elements streaming together throughout the course of the film. So naturally when our hero kicks butt and tackles all his demons outside the ring - we enjoy seeing him physically smash the last one to pieces inside the ring, in the climactic match that all boxing films must have. The Fighter's version of this is one of the best I've seen. Right up there with Rocky, Rocky II and Million Dollar Baby. Micky moves in the ring like we've never seen a fighter do before, and he dishes out some awesome combination jabs that shatter our ribs. As cool as that was, the boxing scenes aren't even the film's strongest moments. The dialogue is so well tailored to the Boston crowd, that we feel like we grew up there, even if we didn't. I saw this with a good pal of mine from Boston, and he told me "this is exactly how it is." While it's rough around the edges, and more vulgar than a battleship full of sailors, it's entertaining. Watching these characters interact with one another didn't just showcase some of the best acting of the year; they were some of the year's best SCENES period. And it's just people talking!Exactly how much of this is tied directly to the true story of which it's based, I'm not sure. And I don't care. Director David O. Russell, who also gave us Three Kings, has made a perfect film that will do well at the Oscars, to include possible nominations by Amy Adams and Melissa Leo. The Fighter is a film that no one really saw coming and just like a good boxer; it will knock moviegoers off their feet.
(23 April 2012)
A touch of home
This review is from: The Fighter (DVD) The movie was taped in my hometown and it was wonderful to see all the places. It was a wonderful story of a hometown boy who made something of himself. As for the packaging, everything was fine.
Ted (23 April 2012)
The Fighter
The Fighter is quite good. There aren't all that many surprises here,and those of us who â¥ed David O. Russel's out-there Huckabees will be alittle disappointed by its safeness, but it is definitely good. Quitegood, even.The film's obvious standout is Christian Bale as Dicky, demonstratinghis range and relevance as an affable, crack-addicted former fighter.Mark Wahlberg plays Dicky's still-fighting brother with unendingrestraint; he scores points for subtlety in the film's familial dramawhile losing as many in his charmless, unsmiling romance with AmyAdams's Charlene. There is exactly as much here as is necessary to makethe film's finale engaging and rewarding, but very little to rememberafterward--it really is quite successful in its predictable underdogambitions, but it never really aims any higher.All things considered, the Fighter is almost exactly the lacklustertriumph implied in its generic title and trailer--it doesn't reinventthe sport underdog story, but it isn't trying to. This movie only aimsto be a quite good entry in its admittedly overaccessable genre; inthat it succeeds entirely.
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