Joe et Max

I follow boxing to some extent, and have always been captivated by the Louis-Schmeling fights. However, I was unaware that Max was alive until just a few weeks ago. The movie does a good job based on the fact surrounding and leading up to the fight. As one poster mentioned earlier, they didn't note Max being champ in 1930, I believe. He beat James Braddock by DQ, then defended once, and lost to Braddock in rematch in controversial decision. I highly recommend this movie. The situation these two men were in had to be highly stressful. Louis defending his race and his nation, Max supposedly defending Nazi Germany and the White Race. Neither one appeared comfortable in those roles.

Always loved sports movie about boxing, from the masterpieces to B-movies about kick-boxing.

Joe & Max apparently is a made-for-TV movie, with a low budget and then unpretentious. Perhaps it's so, but does money really matter so much ? I think no. Boxers Joe Louis and Max Schmeling were friends beyond the politics, the obtuse ideologies and war; but rivals just on the ring. The fighting scenes were shot with a look to the old footages, in black and white, gifting a credible appearance to the whole action parts. Interesting the relation between Max and his wife, their spirit of sacrifice against government, racism and the dirty propaganda elevating Joe as Nazism's pride.

The stage designing is a little too simple, so the city looks a bit fake, but it's not a damage. An enjoyable mix of sport drama and history inside an "impossible" friendship.

This is an excellent film that deals with historical issues throughout the war years as well as the lives of these two great sports men. It also portrays the themes of love, friendship and triumph over adversity- not just the boxing matches! I really enjoyed it so the statement that its just for boxing fans is completely irrelevant. The story itself is very emotional. it really draws you into the plot and forces you to empathise with the characters as they live through the injustices of the second world war and also face such issues as racism and a stereotypical view of people at the time. I also really loved the fact that it remains historically correct when it examines the lives of both Max Schmeling and Joe Lewis. I'm sure there is a certain degree of sensationalising done for the film but it pretty much retells an accurate story. Overall a great film.

I liked the show. I know something about boxing and I far as I know, it was pretty accurate.

One thing though-Max Schmeling was an ex-world heavyweight champion before he fought Joe Lewis and I don't believe that was mentioned in the movie. The part when Max saved the Jewish family from the Nazis was fairly accurate, as was the fact that Max did much better than Joe after their boxing careers ended.

Joe and Max is an okay, upbeat movie that seeks to put across a message: Brotherhood is Nice; or perhaps Why Can't We All Just Get Along? It's a film in which it is clear who are the good guys and who are the bad. Hitler, Goebbels and all those folks strutting around Heil-Hitlering, doing the goose step and wearing the swastika armband are bad. Hiss. The good guys are Joe Louis and Max Schmelling and pretty much everyone who doesn't do the things mentioned in the previous sentence. Yay.

The problem with message films like this is that they need a little more than that to retain the viewer's interest. Things like character development, sex or good scenery. Joe and Max has none of these things, so it's a matter of preaching the message of brotherhood to those who already believe in that, else they wouldn't be watching the picture in the first place.

Everybody in the film seems to be earnestly acting their hearts out, and I must say the guy who plays Hitler is great: his Hitler is really creepy and scary-looking.

All in all, it's not a bad film, but maybe you could spend your time doing something more worthwhile than watching Joe and Max bonding with one another.