Rigged

I'm not even sure how to pronounce her name, but I will never forget the actress Rebecca Neuenswander in this movie. And I use the word "actress" instead of "martial artist," which apparently she is, because she is absolutely radiant in this movie.

She has a scene late in the movie where she's in a hospital bed. Her face is a mass of bruises, one eye is swollen shut, her lips are split, etc. Her manager comes to her side and she can barely talk, but says, "Want to hear something funny?" She then tells a story about how her parents kicked her out of the house at age 15 when they discovered she was gay that is absolutely heart breaking. Neuenswander doesn't milk it for sobs, but tells the story with a little smile on her face. She's a fighter, all right.

Tough as nails on the outside, tender on the inside. That's Katherine Parker, the role Neuenswander plays. The plot itself is a "Rocky" rehash that is clunky and improbable. There's an over-the-top plot device involving a crowbar. The ending is corny and pat.

Nevermind. See this moving to watch an stunning performance by a young actress. Neuenswander has made no other movie except this. Maybe she has other fish to fry. At least we have "Fight Night."

Neuenswander would be perfect to play Lisbeth Salander in the American remake of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." But that role will undoubtedly be one of the most sought-after by young actresses in recent Hollywood history.

Whoever is posting these positive reviews must be involved with the production. I couldn't take more than 34 minutes of this mediocre underground fight film. The premise seemed interesting on the box & I could suspend my disbelief of a small female fighter winning against bigger guys due to the rules they set up in the film. But boring actors, sub-par TV-style docu directing and truly awful dialog made me stop the film. I'll give any indie film a chance without a budget because you have to put thought into the script and talent behind the camera. They have to be smart but FIGHT NIGHT is regurgitated hack material.

The moment that made me turn it off was when they were escaping from Speedy who is trying to shoot them. He's standing 5 feet away from the car and he shoots the hood. NOT THE WINDSHIELD, THE HOOD. Something small yes but indicative of the film as a whole - no thinking at all. Christ! And that was the directing. The scriptwriting is worse! I agree that the only good think about it is the actress but the film didn't interest me to stick around longer than 34 minutes.

I implore anyone interested in this type of film to see the incredible "HARD TIMES" with Charles Bronson as the underground fighter and James Coburn as the sleazy promoter. Set in depression era New Orleans, it's a lot of fun. The scene with Speedy is almost stolen directly from that film except Bronson takes the gun away from them.

Going in, you have to realize that this is a Freshman effort.

The is the only full length film for director, producer, and editor Jonathan Dillon.

It is the first film for writer Ian Shorr, and it is the only film for the star Rebecca Neuenswander (a fighter in real life).

Chad Ortis, who plays the con man who finds Katherine (Neuenswander), has only an episode of The Bold and the Beautiful under his belt.

A bunch of inexperienced actors in a low budget film doesn't always spell disaster. Despite the fact that the movie is filled with clichés, it keeps your interest, even though you know you will guess the ending.

The story line of this film is about underground boxing. Rebecca Neuenswander acts as a Katherine Parker, a young but promising fighter. Another key character is Michael Dublin (Chad Ortis), a young but experienced promoter. Not a hard guess that this couple has to get through this film in some interesting way.

All right, let me tell you what you won't see in this low budget project. There are no outstanding special effects, no expensive decorations, no catching breath stunts. At the same time, keep in mind that this film isn't just about fights for money, though Rebecca has done an excellent action job while standing against and knocking out numerous tough guys (a matter of taste and fighting experience whether you buy this or not, but I wouldn't say it's impossible totally). First of all, this film is about real life, real relationships and that bitter feeling when you've got nothing to lose, really nothing...

Though the film is currently known as Fight Night, I definitely prefer the original title, Rigged. And while Rigged has many problems -- mostly in the storyline and a lot of the secondary acting -- it is well worth watching just to see Rebecca Neuenswander. She is a find. Not only is she gorgeous, and not only is she a terrific actress, with expressive eyes that light up the screen, but she can fight. I have always been a stickler about sports being portrayed authentically on the screen, and I was happily surprised by Rebecca's fighting skills.

Rigged won't blow you away, and it may not last in your memory too long, but I don't think I'll forget about Rebecca Neuenswander for quite for some time. I am sad that Rigged is apparently her only film, but maybe she'll do more in the future. A director would be lucky to get her.