Invincible

First off - I'm biased. Let me get that out of the way first. I grew up in Center City Philly during the 70's and am a life-long Eagles fan. So, I was pretty excited to see the movie to get juiced for the upcoming 2006 Eagles season while also hoping to relive Philly life from 1976.

The movie starts by giving us some background on the plight of the 1975 Eagles (a pretty bad team) and Vince Papale (a man pretty down on his luck). Little did both the team and Vince know their fortunes were about to change with the arrival of Dick Vermeil, the new head coach of the Eagles.

The basic need of any biographical movie is that it MUST establish a relationship with the audience in order for us to be emotionally connected to the movie. I would say that Invincible only does a "so-so" job with this. For example, I recently saw "Walk The Line", if that movie does one thing well is it makes us really care about Johnny Cash and June Carter. On the other hand, Mark Wahlberg's version of Vince Papale keeps us at a distance while offering only limited insight into what really makes Vince tick. It doesn't help that the script keeps Mark's lines to a minimum. This doesn't seem to jive with the real Vince Papale, a very high energy man who always has something to say. On the other hand, Greg Kinnear does a GREAT rendition of Dick Vermeil. He really nailed Dick in personality and mannerisms.

The best part of the movie are the visuals. The movie does a great job recreating Philadelphia life in 1976, what it was like to be an Eagle fan in the 70's and 1970's NFL life before the mega-millions contracts and cushy locker rooms with every amenity imaginable. These aspects of the movie, I thoroughly enjoyed.

However, there were a couple noticeable misses in this recreation. There was no mention at all of the 1976 Bicentennial in the movie. This was a pretty big miss since the entire city was wrapped up in the celebration. Another thing that puzzled me was the "woes us" attitude from the Phiilly fans in the movie. This really wasn't the case in Philadelophia at the time. Yes, the Eagles were bad, but the Phillies made the playoffs that year, the Sixers went to the NBA finals behind Dr. J, and the Flyers had just won two Stanley Cups. While I'm on the portrayal of the Philly fans, some of it was a little over the top. When the Eagles are losing by several touchdowns late in the game, everyone doesn't stay to boo, and we certainly don't threaten other fans to stay. I laughed at most of it because I knew it was more caricature than real life. But I know there are people out there who think thats how Philly fans really are. From me to you, it's more myth than fact.

Overall, I'm giving the movie 7 out of 10. But, if Vince Papale were a Giant, I'd only give it 6 out of 10.

The true story of Vince Papale, a bartender/unemployed substitute school teacher in Philadelphia (Mark Wahlberg) who tried out for the NFL's Eagles and ended up being an integral part of Dick Vermeil's (Greg Kinnear) team for three years in the late-1970s. Typical underdog story that I have always been a sucker for and this one is no exception. Has that "Rocky" feel to it with shades of countless other inspirational sports stories from seemingly the beginning of films. It is good at capturing the intensity of Philadelphia sports fans and also excellent at showing how blue collar folks in that part of the country interact, socialize and often struggle to make a living. If nothing else, "Invincible" displays just how imperative and key that professional sports are to many within certain U.S. metropolitan areas. 4 stars out of 5.

Somewhat loosely based on a true story, INVINCIBLE is your standard root-for-the-underdog sports movie, nothing more, nothing less. Mark Wahlberg is Vince Papale, a beefy touch football player/bartender who struts his stuff at an open tryout for the Philadelphia Eagles. Overcoming tremendous odds, Papale cracks the roster after earning the faith of rookie coach Dick Vermeil (Greg Kinnear).

INVINCIBLE probably would have been better as a less family-friendly film. Everything happens so cleanly in this Disney pic that it loses some of its realism and credibility. The audience may also feel cheated given the extreme liberties the writers took with the Papale story, including a complete disregard for his pro pigskin experience, fabricating an open-to-the-public tryout and the invention of a "you won't amount to anything" note from Papale's former partner. No bio pic is 100 per cent truthful, but this is going a bit too far.

While there is a certain charm and inspirational underpinning to INVINCIBLE, it can't hold a handle to many of the other entries of the same genre. It's one of those movies that can be summed up with four words: good but never great. The performances are good but never great. The direction is good but never great. The list goes on. Junior high-aged kids will probably appreciate this one the most.

Both Mark Wahlberg and Greg Kinnear are such naturals in delivering their characters. When in fact, from the production notes, Wahlberg went through actual football training/coaching, being there with the team for every play and practice, gaining insight into his portrayal of a real living person. Both met their inspired 'hero'. For Kinnear, he received confirmation when Vermeil's son indicated that he got his father's mannerism/cadence spot on. The operative word here is 'genuine,' caring and intensely so. They worked hard preparing and learning to correctly portray the two NFL notables.

Papale and Vermeil - they needed each other (or fate brought them together). In a way, both are in the same boat: struggling to gain confidence by the rest of the team. Against all odds, they did it and won over the rest of the South Philly Eagles team and the PA fans. Yes, it is inspirational. Yes, it's been told before. Why so different? This film being NFL sanctioned is the more earnest in getting it right in every respect for authenticity. The shots of the different plays and athletic moves get up close and real with a trained acting team and augmented sound design.

Double duty as director of photography and director of his debut feature film, Ericson Core, faithfully puts us in the year 1976 recreated. The Jim Croce song that started the film "I Got A Name" is reminiscently catchy and hints at the personal struggles of Papale. With Sara Knowles ("Gattaca") production design, Susan Lyall ("Mississippi Masala") costume design, vital Football Coordinator Mark Ellis ("Miracle") who studied/choreographed the plays and moves for specific film shoot, and having Vince Papale and Dick Vermeil as consultants at hand, Brad Gann's script and a strong supportive team of producers, all made "INVINCIBLE" unarguably a worthwhile film to see.

I went into the cinema with no expectations - feeling fortunate to see Wahlberg and Kinnear both in one movie. I find the film heartwarming (a tearjerker for me, too). It encourages roots: remember the buddy friends, neighborhood community and parents who'd stand by us. The tenacity to not give up - keep trying, focus on task at hand - doing your best is no failure no matter what others may think. The integrity of one's character and believing in oneself is not easy to sustain in hard times. Support system close to you is important: Papale has Janet's encouragement and Vermail has his wife's timely reminders. We need such spirits genuinely emanated in films like "Invincible."

Greg Kinnear came a long way from the remake of "Sabrina" opposite Harrison Ford. His diverse roles in "As Good As It Gets" opposite Jack Nicholson, "Auto Focus" opposite Willem Dafoe, "The Matador" opposite Pierce Brosnan, and "Little Miss Sunshine" along with an ensemble of talents, demonstrated how vastly skillful he's become. Mark Wahlberg can be underrated - it's almost all him in "Boogie Nights", funny fantastic in "The Big Hit", quietly solid in "The Yard" (opposite James Caan), 'funkily' good in "Rock Star", smooth action in "The Italian Job" remake, gritty action in "Four Brothers" - he holds his own in a wide variety of complex and challenging roles, be it "Three Kings" or "I Heart Huckabees".

Definitely an underrated sports movie. Does a fantastic job of capturing the ethos of the de-industrialization of the east coast through the secondary characters and the setting. If you love an underdog story you will love this movie. The movie captures both the highs of achieving the American dream and the difficulties of working class life in the US. While the film is centered around Papale's improbable leap to the NFL, the film is truly about the bonds of friendship and companionship in times of adversity and it's a film that leaves you rooting for all of the characters involved. While it's not completely accurate, the Hollywood changes in this movie are welcome and not obtrusive and keep with the overall theme of the story. If you enjoy Rudy, this film is a more realistic/accurate and more succinct Rudy. A fantastic feel good underdog story that will warm the hearts of football lovers and avid movie go-ers alike, it appeals to anyone with a heart.