50 to 1

Just saw the movie tonight and it was worth the wait. I love horses and horse racing, they have definitely gotten into my blood since I was a boy. Their beauty, their speed and their heart and courage. Mine That Bird was like a blue collar worker in the midst of horses that were high profile aristocrats. Didn't have the beauty but he had everything else. And that's what counted in the end.

I've read a number of mean-spirited put-downs of the horse and of the film by viewers (or just detractors) who think he wasn't worth making a movie about. They don't seem to understand why people would celebrate a horse who ran his heart out every time and accomplished amazing things even though his win/loss record doesn't seem to indicate greatness. True, he didn't win another race after the Derby, but they fail to recognize that he ran 2nd in the Preakness and 3rd in the Belmont, finishing in the money in all three Triple Crown races. It takes an extraordinary athlete to achieve that over 5 grueling weeks of racing. How many horse owners and trainers can make that claim? Every racehorse peaks at some point and then begins to lose its speed and stamina over time. MTB is no different from any other racehorse in that regard. He just peaked higher than many other horses ever will, so the decline naturally seemed greater.

The movie makers did a great job of giving us the back story of MTB and his owners and trainer. It was hard to know how much of the account was doctored up or exaggerated to sell it better, but they got the essentials right and made us care about the main characters and the horse. My only criticism would be of the way they portrayed Bob Baffert as pompous and arrogant. My impression of him based on interviews and on comments he's made is that he's as competitive as they come, but more generous of spirit than many of the others as well, certainly not the dismissive person the movie made him out to be.

I was actually not a MTB fan at the time of the Triple Crown races. Rachel Alexandra was/is my favorite and I definitely cheered for her and celebrated her win over MTB in the Preakness. But over time I did learn to appreciate what he did over the course of his career and I now have a soft spot in my heart for him as well. To the film makers I say 'thanks' for making a movie that left me in tears at the end. To those who think the movie was a waste of time and money, greatness doesn't mean you always finish first. It's also measured by what's in your heart.

I love this movie. It's like "Secretariat" with cowboys! Perhaps my opinion is biased since I live in Roswell where Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird resides in luxury. The actors/director/crew really caught the feel of rural New Mexico. The script is an intelligent homage to the underdog. Skeet Ulrich is uncanny as the trainer--every movement and stance was perfectly natural as a cowboy. William Devane is the closest to owner Doc Blach anyone could be! And Christian Kane's quirky humor and physicality help embody the oil-rich, bad boy owner, who champions two underdogs--a down-and-out trainer and an unknown horse. But it's the supporting cast that fleshes out the film and makes it a winner. I rate this film excellent in that it's fun to watch; it makes the audience cheer; and it never condescends to the average people behind the scenes of any champion. Kids will love this movie, but parents will appreciate its messages. Ten feel-good hugs.

It's very rare that I come away from a movie with any sort of emotional impact; especially one that is uplifting. Typically, there has to be some sort of cruelty or injustice for me to genuinely become attached to a film beyond any sort of typical entertainment value. However, "50 to 1" is one of those instances in which I was completely taken in by the characters' quest. It's a genuinely fun movie packed with so much heart that the entire audience gets in on the action. How often have you gone to a movie and actually heard the crowd cheer multiple times? I had attended the world premiere in Albuquerque in which that sort of thing is expected. So, I decided to attended a general public screening to see what the difference would be. I was surprised to witness even larger reactions from the public screening than the private one. Although the film may have some shortcomings due to budgetary issues, there is no denying that the overall film is much more powerful than most films you'll see this year. As for entertainment value, I'd put this $10 million film over most mundane $200 million films any day. When you see grown men walk away with tears in their eyes, you know they've seen something special. This movie is a definite must-see in theaters simply for the race footage alone. The action is so quick and detailed, that you'll definitely benefit from seeing this film on the big screen! In fact, I caught several things that made the film even more enjoyable on the second viewing than on the first. Saddle up and enjoy the show!

It's hard to not like a "true-story-ish" movie about an underdog going up against despicable snobs... so on that level, the movie is worth a watch, especially if you're running out of movies to watch.

Feel-good underdog movie with hokey screenplay and acting.

I certainly have seen far worse, but there were a few times during the movie that I was tempted to shut it off because it was over-the- top cornball. It's filled with scenes and side-stories that add no value whatsoever to the movie and feel like the filmmakers wanted to check-off every popular cliché in movie making.

Fight scene... check. Love & hate romantic tension scene... check. Funny animal action scene... check. Life and death drama scene... check. Down-and-out nobody believes in me scene... check

The movie jumps back and forth trying to be funny at times, and serious at others without having a connection between the emotions - - at least in believable way. I kinda of felt at times like I was watching a Smokey and the Bandit movie... then all of the sudden, it tries to go serious.

With all that said... I watched the entire movie, had a few chuckles and wiped a tear from my eye at the end.

I absolutely LOVED everything about "50 to 1." I drove from Illinois to Kentucky to see the cross-country tour they were doing to promote the movie. The added bonus was that I got to see the movie on the big screen while I was there. My only regret is that I could only watch it once before I had to leave Kentucky. Christian Kane is such an amazing actor. He is so versatile and was absolutely perfect for the part of Mark Allen. Skeet Ulrich is also one of my favorites, and his portrayal of Chip Woolley is fantastic. Todd Lowe added a lot of humor to the movie. Seriously, I want to thank Jim Wilson and Faith Conroy for fighting so hard to get this story told and out to the fans. They choose the perfect cast. In addition to the actors I mentioned above, William Devane, Madelyn Deutch,and Hugo Perez all did a fabulous job. It is nice to see a feel-good movie based on a true story and something the whole family can enjoy. I wish I could give "50 to 1" 100 stars!!