Phantom Punch

I saw this movie, and wondered why it was not released in theatres. It is a quite good movie, that is very thought provoking especially, concerning the circumstance surrounding Sonny Liston's death. The actor named Ving Rhames does a very good job and is fantastic in it. It amazes me, and I do not understand why the other reviewers are so negative, but if you like boxing and are a boxing history fan, this is a must see..... I thoroughly enjoyed it... And if you're a boxing fan, you probably will too... PS - Robert Townsend is a fine talent as both an actor and director... So watch it and don't be fooled by any negative reviews... :)

I loved it because it was about one of the Greatest Heavyweights Ever in Charles "Sonny" Liston. No, it's not "Casablanca" but it is time well spent for former fighters like myself and boxing fans. We love just about anything on The Bad Man and the movie is very stylishly shot with a sleek music score backing it. I have been to Liston's grave in Vegas and "Night Train" played in my head the entire time I was there. No monument, just a weathered headstone that you have to ask the folks inside how to find as it is difficult to locate. Watch this with an open mind and enjoy it, sports fans. While it may not be 100 percent accurate - it is fun for fans of The Big Bear. Troy Ross is a real fighter who plays Floyd Patterson but the guy that plays Ali is not. He is the only downside to this movie that I found as they should have gotten a real boxer to play him. Ving is not as big nor nearly as massive as Sonny was but then again, few men have been. One of the Great Hitters and most Mysterious Men in Boxing history.

Oh how the Mighty have Fallen. Not Sonny Liston but Director Robert Townsend. The Once Promising Director who Helmed this Biopic of Heavyweight Champion Liston is Either Out of His Depth or couldn't Pull this Off and it seems like there wasn't much Effort and the Whole Thing Looks Cheap, Undeveloped, and Haphazard.

The Low-Budget is No Excuse. Much can be Made for Very Little with some Creativity and Depth of Concern. The Movie is so Muddled and Amateurish at Times that it is Knocked Down In the Opening and Never gets up. The Highlights and Lowlights of the Life of Sonny Liston are Never Explored with Compelling Cinema. It is Flat and Uninteresting and Considering the Enigmatic Liston's Private Life and His Powerful Presence in the Ring it is Mysteriously Boring.

The Phantom Punch that Cassius Clay (Ali) Threw in Their Second Fight, one of the most Controversial Knockouts in Boxing History and Ironically the Title of the Film is Hardly Examined, Explored, or for that Matter it is Glossed Over for some Unknown Reason. The Ending of Liston's Life is also Mysterious and the Mystery here is that, again it is so Rushed that it seems a Featherweight is at the Controls.

The Film isn't Awful, it is just a Mess. Considering the Material Available it is the Greatest of Concern as to why this Thing Turned Out so Ineffective. it should have been a No Brainer and it turns out to be a Non-Contender.

Phantom Punch is directed by Robert Townsend and written by Ryan Combs. It traces the life and times of Sonny Liston, the World heavyweight boxing champion who over his career fought the likes of Muhammad Ali and Floyd Patterson. Townsend biopic traces Liston's career from 1950 to his death in 1971.

Ving Rhames, is perfectly cast as Charles L 'Sonny' Liston. Rhames gives a stellar performance depicting the boxer's tumultuous life, where dealing with the rampant racism of the day, the heavy hand of the mob, and the heavier hand of the law was part and parcel of the job. And touches on the controversy surrounding his mysterious death.

If you want to see what the real Sonny was all about, watch HBO's documentary "Sonny Liston: The Mysterious Life and Death of a Champion". Its brilliant!! This movie...well not so good. Ving Rhames is great as usual. Problem is he may be a tad old for the role, plus he didn't have much to work with here. A lot of what we know about Sonny was historically inaccurate or missing. No harassment from Ali(a young Cassius Clay) before, or after the Patterson rematch. Ali (Clay) made Liston's life hell for over a year before their first fight. No scene detailing Sonny slapping Ali's face in a casino. Not even a mention of his first fight against Marty Marshall. Liston suffered a broken jaw in the fourth round before losing a close 8-round decision. But you wouldn't know it from this film. Sonny was no choirboy nice-guy for sure. But he deserves better than Phantom Punch.