Renaissance d'un champion

I saw this movie recently at a screening. Everybody's already talked about the plot so I don't need to get into those details. What I think this movie will be known for is its performances (more on that in a second...), and its how uplifting it is. You leave the movie feeling great and for reasons that I will not get into, it makes you want to call your dad and tell him how much you love him (or your son). A lot of people will talk about Samuel L. Jackson's portrayal of the worn-out boxer, but the true revelation of the film is the acting of Josh Hartnett, who I have never thought could be so believable or appealing. He has always been just kind of a pretty boy, really. But here, he plays a father, a husband, a journalist, and according to Aristotle's definition, a classic "Tragic Hero." He desires to impress his son to the degree that he sometimes bends the truth a bit too often...which ultimately annihilates his relationship with his son. The child, Teddy, is played by a kid named Dakota Goyo, who will become a big star. Teri Hatcher's cameo brought humor to the film when needed. If I had a criticism, it is that the film might be a tiny bit lengthy; however, every moment of the film was well-done. I wouldn't know how to make it shorter. I highly recommend this movie to everyone.

Hi, today I was reading the Los Angeles Times magazine and saw a full page ad on the movie. I said to myself, "that looks like the Champ, I knew". I looked at the website for the movie and found that it in fact was about "Bobby Satterfield" the Champ I knew. A little about myself that will tell you that the story is true. I was a Police Officer in Santa Ana, CA for 25 yrs and worked the area that the Champ lived in. I have not seen the movie in that it is due out on Friday, but have read the article and still have a copy of it, that was in the L.A. Times. All of us cops knew the Champ as Bobby Satterfield and knew no different until the article about him came out in the paper. The Champ was truly a homeless person even though he had an ex-wife that lived on Polplar St in Santa Ana. The Champ was a kind person who had a shopping cart(a Santa Ana Winnebago) that he kept all sorts of junk in. He was no harm unless he was drunk and then could become very aggressive. He would go to liquor stores with a little broom and sweep up and pick up around the store, and probably get a beer for it. I always got along well with the Champ and always said Hi to him and sometimes even gave him a few bucks(he never panhandled me or asked). I do know that he had some pretty good fights with some of my cohorts when he was drunk however. I hope that he got a few bucks out of this film(I don't even know if he is still alive, I retired 6 yrs ago and he was looking aged then). I can not wait to see the movie. I am not sure how or what they portray him as, but the basic facts are true. I can always be contacted if you desire. Enjoy

Currently, "Resurrecting the Champ" has a relatively low score of 6.7 on IMDB. I say low because, oddly, 6.7 is about average and the film is far better than an average movie. It's just too good for such a paltry score.

The movie is a dramatizing of real events. Not surprisingly, Hollywood made a few changes to 'improve' the story....in other words, to make it more cinematic. Fortunately, these changes are minor.

A writer (Josh Hartnett) meets a homeless guy (Samuel L. Jackson) who apparently is the ex-boxing great, Bob Satterfield. The writer's career is struggling and he wants to make a splash...and he eventually comes up with the idea of doing a 'where are they now' feature on the guy. The article turns out to be a sensation and the LA Times is thrilled. But, being a movie, there of course is MUCH more to the story and I don't want to say more, as it would ruin the suspense.

The acting is quite nice here but the best thing about the film is the writing. The story is very interesting and engaging....and well worth your time even if you are NOT a boxing fan...which, I am not.

This was a very entertaining film with just the right mixture of action, drama, romance and intrigue. The latter - a big shock that occurs two-thirds of the way through the story - gives it its unique flavor. Otherwise, it's still a nice story of fathers-and-sons and the love and respect that's so important between the two of them. It also involves husbands and wives reconciling.

I've seen Samuel L. Jackson in a lot of movies and so I am quite aware what a fine actor he is, so I wasn't surprised he was so good in this film. However, I was still stunned at his performance. It's definitely the best character I've seen him play, partly because of his sentimental role but more so simply because he dominated this film. Josh Hartnett was fine in the co-leading role of this story but it was Jackson who really got my attention in every scene.

This is a very involving story that grabs you and won't let go. What is it about boxing stories, or stories that involve boxers, that make them so memorable? I don't know, but I've seen very few bad ones and certainly no boring ones. Many of them, like this one, have more of a human element than just being a sport story. Actually, there isn't a lot of ring action in this film, so I wouldn't label it a boxing film. As a drama, or whatever you want to label it, it's a fine movie and a good way to spend two hours.

Highly recommended.

Okay, the film is actually pretty good and a far cry from what I expected, though nowhere near as good as a 10 Star film that I've seen listed on many of these comments. The film is passable, and even enjoyable at times, with a good message and a meaningful story about fathers and sons at its core.

Hartnett, like the rest of the cast, do a serviceable job and the acting is pretty good throughout the film, though people thinking Jackson will win or even be nominated for a flick like this need to put down the Kool Aid. It's a nice little film, a modest surprise even, but hardly anything award worthy.

You can read my full review online at RazorFine Review.