Manny

Manny appeared to be well-received in its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival. The film is certainly informative for those of us who haven't followed Manny Pacquiao's multi-faceted career carefully. His story of his rise from a hut in an obscure Philippine village to international superstar is a truly impressive rags-to-riches tale. He has managed to successfully leverage his boxing career to move into other arenas including acting, music, religion, product endorsement and most intriguingly now politics. His determination and hard work are extremely impressive as he has risen to become a transcendent figure in the Philippines. The film has a bit too much footage of too many fights and lacks in-depth analysis of who the man behind the fighter really is. The film often strays from documentary into hagiography so that it doesn't feel like a truly objective presentation. It comes off more like an extended campaign biography for his future political career as his boxing career is winding down. Some of the metaphors such as Manny as a "fighter" who fought for the pride of his country and now will fight for the people of the Philippines feel a bit forced. It is difficult to tell if his recent focus on his faith reflects a genuine transformation away from his past sinful ways - drinking and womanizing - or a political tool to enhance his future political career. The film remains informative and entertaining, but needs to be taken with several grains of salt.

At the end of the day, when all the die-hard fans have had their say, this film will be remembered mainly for introducing Manny to a wider audience.

Which, to be clear, is a very good thing.

I have seen a lot of boxing films, and attended a number of live fights. I do believe that Manny by his very example has added a new chapter to the history of the sport. His speed, power, accuracy, and ability to throw at angles that would mystify even a geometry teacher -- these are awesome skills to behold. And his willingness to move outside his weight class, time after time, bespeaks a heart bigger than Wyoming. If not for this film, I would never have seen all this, and for that I thank the film makers.

Which leaves the topic of the film itself. First, what is the yardstick? If you do the research you will find that more feature films (bipic and documentary) have been done on Ali than any other boxer. Fortunately for this review, I have seen them all.

How does Manny compare, as a film? Not very well, I am afraid. It wanders and it lacks focus.

If Manny boxed like the director of this film directed, he would have knocked out while still a teenager.

In fairness, with Ali, there was a natural story arc in the way the entire world gave up on him going into the Foreman fight, and Manny's story lacks that central theme.

That said, it is still a weakish film.

I enjoy watching Manny box -- seriously, who wouldn't -- and he has led a pretty amazing life. However, this film feels like it was made by the Manny Pacquiao fan club and not a real documentary film maker. It's still a fun watch but there is obvious bias leaking through. I just feel like there could have been so much more done with the source material if someone like Motivedia or Rummy's Corner had been involved (they both produce great boxing videos and analysis on YouTube).

Greetings again from the darkness. Growing up in extreme poverty in the Civil War-torn Philippines, sleeping in a hut made from coconut tree leaves, and working with fishermen as a young boy, Manny Pacquiao spent his childhood not dreaming of becoming a world champion boxer and celebrity, but rather wondering if there would be food to eat on any given day. This background is probably what inspired co-directors Ryan Moore and Leon Gast (Oscar winner for When We Were Kings) to focus less on Manny's personal flaws and more on his extraordinary road to success.

Opening with Michael Buffer's familiar "Let's get ready to rumble", the film does exactly that. Obviously much of the film highlights Manny's boxing career, beginning as an extremely young fighter with a slight build and carrying through to his record-setting titles in 8 weight classifications, but it also does an admirable job of helping us get to know the man behind the fame.

As Pac-Man finds more success in the ring, we witness the exponential growth of the circus environment – his training camp, the media onslaught, the endorsements, the lousy movies, his re-discovery of religion, and his political aspirations. We meet his cutting edge fitness trainer Alex Ariza and his long-time boxing trainer and friend (and former boxer) Freddie Roach. Freddie's story is probably worthy of its own documentary, as he trained under his mentor, the legendary Eddie Futch, and blames his Parkinson's Disease on staying in the game a few fights too long.

The film acknowledges, but only in a cursory manner, the dark side of boxing. Manny's first two managers are blamed for some of his early financial woes, as is his business adviser Michael Koncz … and promoter Bob Arum is certainly a guy who deserves a bit more scrutiny. Questionable decisions in key matches are mentioned, but no further investigative reporting is offered … handled just as the sport itself does. This hole would be less obvious had not so much of the film focused on Manny's boxing career.

We get a taste of Manny's charm and appeal. Actor and fight fan Mark Wahlberg makes a great observation in his interview, as he points out that Manny's entry into the ring for a fight is filled with smiles and waves … as if he had not a care in the world. But then once he steps into the ring, he can "flip the switch" and find the focus to fight his fight. We also see Manny on talk shows, and in a truly priceless sequence, we go into the recording studio as Manny sings "Sometimes When We Touch" … while being mentored by the song's original singer/songwriter Dan Hill.

The film does nice work in letting us see Manny make the move into politics – he's now a twice elected representative in his hometown Sarangami province. There is also footage of him in his ministry as he confesses to a sinful past left behind in favor of his family and clean living. Some of the interviews with Jinkee (his wife) are the most emotional moments in the film. Along the way, we are privy to some of Manny's philosophical thoughts: "Loss is a reminder of what's important in life", and when times are tough, "You get back up. You fight again". Manny's talent has etched his place in boxing history, but his approach to life is what contrasts him from many other great fighters like Floyd Mayweather (whose brief appearances flash enough ego to turn anyone's stomach). That hut in the Philippines may be long gone, but the film shows us that Manny is here to stay.

I agree with the comments from JustCuriosity.

The documentary film is understandably biased and tries to win over viewers by tugging at their heart strings. After watching it, I did some reading up and realized that the facts are not as rosy as this title makes it out to be. The documented facts, about why the Mayweather Jr fight did not happen, were not fully revealed. Many viewers will rain glory on the title character but I came out wondering why he is still risking his life, after having achieved what no-one else has achieved, when he has a wife and 5 children. I see only an innocent teenager who has been corrupted by fame, wealth and greed as he grew up. The documentary also throws bad light on his Management and Promoter. But the best part was when the sports conditioner said that boxers are essentially chewed inside and out, and then tossed aside for the new.

I'm also amazed at why the title is released so late in the Phillipines (1 year after being released in USA...)