Warrior

I had the pleasure of seeing Warrior at 2011 CinemaCon, walking in not knowing a thing about the movie, other than it was a movie about 'fighting.' And though a MMA movie (Mixed Martial Arts), not boxing, per se, for the genre, fighting, Warrior delivers a much better story than The Fighter, and is on par with Clint Eastwood's Oscar winner, Million Dollar Baby.

Expect a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nod in 2012 for Nick Nolte. And superstar status for Tom Hardy.

Warrior, though a work of fiction, plays out like a true story; two brothers at odds with each other and their father, in the town of Pittsburgh, who resort to prize fighting, one for the money, the other to prove himself a man.

This movie is truly, truly OUTSTANDING! I am in complete shock over the performances in this film. Nick Nolte, as usual, gives a gritty, gut wrenching, emotional performance that left me buckling at the knees. One of my all time favorite movies of Mr. Nolte was Rich Man, Poor Man, absolutely a god given talent! The performances of Mr. Hardy and Mr. Edgeron were academy award winning, I would love to see more of them by far! I cried throughout the movie, and when it was over, I could not wait to tell everyone about it. A terrific ensemble cast and movie that certainly should be up for Best Picture!! A definitive Oscar nod for Nick Nolte, and if it were up to me, Mr. Hardy and Mr. Edgeron would walk away with one as well! If you have not seen this movie, drop what you are doing, run to your nearest theater. This movie is truly what being a performer is all about! My hat is off to you all!!!

Just saw a sneak peek of Warrior. All I can saw is WOW! Great film. Great performances. The characters are deep and believable and the story will probably have you leaving the theater in tears.

The fight scenes were done really well. I've been cage side at hundreds of MMA fights as a photographer and believe me when I say this is some of the most realistically portrayed MMA action I've seen to date on film.

Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Morrison and Nick Nolte all give good performances and I think Nick Nolte had a couple of moments in the film that should be considered Oscar worthy.

I know a lot of people won't agree with me on this and I can understand, but Warrior has bumped Rocky out of my top 5 favorite movies of all time. IMHO (which some of you will consider worthless) I think it's that good.

At first, I thought, "man, should have shown a little more backstory, why so much hate among the family and whatever". But then I understood, that would have made it just another family drama movie, which it cannot be. This movie is about the raw unsaid emotion of a family that always remains there. No matter what.

Joel was perfect in the role as a passionate, loving and fierce boxer and family man. Hardy was also great in the little convulated army-disgraced man who just wanted to do right by his fallen comrade. Nick Nolte did most of the magic with his eyes. And the last 20 minutes of the movie can make any grown man AND woman cry.

Cheers.

Every so often you'll come across a combat sport movie that manages to find just the right balance of drama and action – that is, more drama than action. When fights are justified with backstories full of crushing emotion, they become all the more intense and gratifying.

Warrior brings to the table the world of mixed martial arts, where punches, kicks, holds, and everything else goes. The inception of new international tournament "Sparta" puts on a collision course Paddy (Nick Nolte), Brendan (Joel Edgerton), and Tom Conlon (Tom Hardy), all part of an estranged family torn apart in the past by abuse, favoritism, and abandonment. Tom resurfaces in society to enlist the help of his formerly alcoholic father Paddy to train him for the tournament, while at the same time Brendan revisits his UFC training in hopes to win the $5 million purse for his struggling family. The two underdogs face some of the toughest MMA fighters on the planet, but the true struggle appears to lie within them. Paddy battles for forgiveness against the resentment of his sons, Tom fights to prove to himself that he is strong, and Brendan struggles to come to terms with his older family while trying to support one of his own.

The fantastic thing here is two protagonists entering the same tournament. Each brother has his own respectable reasons for fighting, a fact that is sure to divide the audience when it comes time to choose which one to root for. The story truly is gut-wrenchingly powerful and presented in an engaging fashion. Little by little through the film's dialogue, we are allowed a glimpse into the past hardships of the Conlon family, and the characters' motivations for retaining such hatred are revealed gradually. Through the incredible acting talents of Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, and Nick Nolte, this confused and passionate chemistry really comes alive. All three actors put up some of the most convincing and heartbreaking performances of their careers; and seeing as how The Fighter garnered so many Oscar nominations, I can't see why Warrior will not do the same. My only beef with the movie is its clichéd climax and rather bleak inconclusive ending, though it still does good to the emotional schism the movie intended to create.

Warrior is one of those sports films with a magical mixture of emotional and physical battle. It's a wonderful story showing how sometimes the world's strongest forces are insignificant in comparison to the troubles of a scarred family. Warrior is without a doubt worth a visit to the theater. One of the best of 2011! And whether you're an MMA fan or not, the adrenaline-pumping fights will have you up and cheering and applauding.

9/10