The Mighty - Gemeinsam sind sie stark

On the surface THE MIGHTY is yet another of those TVM schmaltz-fests with its disease of the week story lines featuring dying children and kids battling against physical and social adversity but give it a chance and you'll see beyond the clichés

The story starts with Max , as a kid from the wrong side of the tracks whose father is serving serious time for murdering Max's mother getting picked on by the local gang ( Yes it's a multi ethnic gang as always )but as the story goes on he strikes up an unlikely friendship with a crippled kid called Kevin . I say unlikely and the more you think about it the more unlikely it becomes but both Elden Henson as Max and Kieran Culkin as Kevin act convincingly enough to compel you enough to believe this is entirely genuine

Both Henson and Culkin carry the film but they're ably assisted by big name actors namely Sharon Stone , Gillian Anderson , Harry Dean Stanton , James Gandolfini and Meat Loaf so you can't fault the acting especially if the story could have descended into overly sentimental schlock . My only real complaint is that the production values make it feel like a made for television movie ( As does the storyline ) rather than the cinematic production it actually is

Talent must run in the Culkin family because Kieran shines in "The Mighty."

As I sat through "The Mighty," I kept thought to myself how it resembled another inspirational film; "Simon Birch." This was a clear indication that I would enjoy "The Mighty."

Elden Henson who played Max Kane was a good choice to play the friend of Culkin's character, Kevin Dillon. I say this because it is based upon how much each have in common including the fact that they seemed to click well together.

I can't forget to mention the superb supporting cast that included Sharon Stone, Gena Rowlands and Harry Dean Stanton. Stone pulled off a performance that could have been done in her sleep. Rowlands and Stanton provided support at just the right times to make this film worthwhile.

"The Mighty" immediately brought a smile to my face because it told the story of two people who were isolated until one day they were brought together, which made a perfect fit.

Perhaps I'm a wuss for admitting it, but I blubbed at the end of this movie, even though I should have known what to expect. I guess I'm just a sentimental kind of guy, but this movie does have the power to move - unless you have a heart of stone, or are so taken up with 21st century 'cool' that you don't feel anything anymore!

This is a beautifully acted, unsentimental piece that is principally about friendship. But it also deals with finding hope where none exists; a desire to reach out for the stars that is fuelled by hopelessness and loneliness.

Perhaps billed as a children's film, this is one for any adult seeking inspiration.

But beware: have the Kleenex close at hand!

This movie was great and I'd encourage anyone to see it. Both of the young actors are fantastic, especially Eldon Henson, and the adults in the movie are pretty good, too. Gillian Anderson and Henson have a really beautiful moment at a bus stop near the end. I also cried at one point quite a lot. It really was an amazing movie and deserves some praise.

A touching story about a friendship between two middle school boys. Max(Henson) is a big kid who has a rough past, while Kevin or "freak" as they call him in the film is a boy with a physical disability that prevent him from walkin without stilt like crutches. Kieran Culkin was great in this film, very good performance early in his career. Elden Henson was not bad in a role that could have been played better, but he was decent, it was a bit of a hard role. Gandolfini was great and stole his limited number of scenes. Harry Dean Stanton was good as well, as was Gillian Anderson. The one disappointment was Sharon Stone who was very good in her scenes, but a bit wasted due to the screenplay concentrating mostly on the teenage characters. This film moves a bit slow, but is nonetheless a very heartwarming and touching picture. The direction is good, and screenplay is solid as well, acting is good for the most part. a Solid film. 8/10