Knockout

This movie doesn't just drag out every hoary old cliche of boxing movies... it hangs each one up like a gong and beats the heck out of it. It's kind of mind-boggling that such a movie could be made in 2000 apparently in all seriousness... and I didn't detect the slightest trace of irony (or indeed any form of humour or self-awareness) anywhere in this picture. The only "original" thing in Knockout is that The Kid is here a girl rather than a boy... but basically precious little is made of that. This could serve as an example of how not to make a movie about female boxers. I suppose in technical film-making terms and in acting it's a reasonably competent riff on the old tunes... but lawdy they are old tunes. Recommended only if you've never seen a boxing movie before (or, I guess, if you absolutely can't get enough of them).

A terrible film, but one that compels the viewer to finish watching it with its hypnotic terrible-ness.

A young Latina has a gift for boxing (though you wouldn't know it from the fight sequences), and decides to carry on boxing after her cop father/trainer dies. She KOs the formidable ladies' champion and is a hero.

Predictable, badly edited, badly written, badly directed. Badly choreographed, badly shot, badly lit. Badly acted, badly delivered lines, badly directed, bad make up.

Fun things to watch for: the scene where the heroine is sparring with the smart-aleck who keeps knocking her down. She gets hit....pause...her head snaps back. Badly timed! The scene where the "champ" dances to "Don't Mess With Me," a stupid song obviously written and recorded for this film. The scene where dad talks to the armed punks in the alley.

Grade: F-

I don't like boxing, don't understand the attraction. I did like this movie. Positive portrayals of Latinos, with no drugs, sex or street violence. The plot actually showed stable, loving families. The fight sequences are violent, as is boxing, but not as over the top as Rocky films. Nothing wrong with attempting familiar themes with a different angle and ethnicity. It's a good rent.

Fifteen years after the death of her mother, Belle (Hernandez) sets out to continue the dream her father began and never finished: to become a champion boxer. Warned as a child by her dying mother not to give up her passions for her loved ones, Belle dukes it out in the tough, male-dominated world of professional boxing, where it seems no one wants her to win.

With the exception of the female boxing twist, this film is no different than any other stereotypical boxing movie I've ever seen. The dialogue is weak, and the story development uses tensions that have been used in all 5 of the Rocky series. Not to mention, the themes are way overstated.

It's about time for a female boxing flick, but this one ain't it. Though the acting isn't too bad, the predictable storyline and silly dialogue pretty much ruin this one from the get go. To top it off, the boxing scenes display zero tension. Come on! How hard is it to make a boxing match seem exciting??!!