Mickey Kelley

Not a big martial arts movie guy, so I wasn't expecting much. Was very pleasantly surprised. Good story line, decent acting and nice flow. More or a Rocky-beats-the-odds than a martial arts movie. The wife loved it as well.

This is very low budget and the writing and story have some craft issues. That said, if you can get to the core of the fight scenes and story you'll find some unique moments. The main actor is the best he's ever been and really showed the beauty of jiu jitsu. This is as much a rocky comeback story as it is an homage to the power of jiu jitsu. Now, imagine getting this main actor a top notch script, budget and director? I would pay to see that.

Its a feel good movie with a bit of everything. Nothing is spot on but evdrything is upto the mark. Lets say you are choosing what to watch and have nothing better to do then you wont be disappointed. Not recommended for children as its a little bloody and a few bad words. But sure give it a go.

Reviewer "A_Different_Drummer" nailed what I wanted to say about this awesome film. It had it all - drama, sport, mma action, family, romance, etc. And in the way it was shown - part Lifetime Movie style and part Documentary, worked perfectly. It lacked all the Hollywood dazzle, and that was refreshing for a change. I'm still not sure if this is based on a true story, especially when I recognized some famous UFC fighters in this film.

Alex Ranarivelo directed, and also wrote this story with Sean Patrick Flanery, who also starred in this film. The cinematography was decent, as was the score. The pacing felt a little slow, and I feel if it was a little faster and/or 10-15 mins shaved off the 112 min runtime, it would've shown better. The story flowed really well, with some unexpected surprises and twists. It will fill you with suspense and play with your emotions. Performances were convincing, and it was good to see Mr. Quaid in this one.

Overall this film was much better than I expected, and it's a "recommend", and I'll probably see it again. It's a well deserved 8/10 from me. To see my review criteria, or more of my 1000+ reviews, click on my username. Then go see this little gem. Even if you're not a fan of UFC or MMA, the story will keep you entertained.

Not having heard anything about this movie, I expected a straight-to-video type martial arts film based on BJJ - considering there seems to be a few cash grabs out at the moment. I figured it would be half way decent because Sean Patrick Flanery is a solid actor. What I didn't expect was a damn good story with great performances all around. I was also surprised to learn that Sean is a legit BJJ black belt, which is obvious as soon as he gets on the mat. Seeing this movie more than makes up for having to sit through the last 5 bad ones.