Warrior

Gavin O’Connor sure has seen a lot of Rocky films, huh? Found it weird that he tried to rewrite the first six all in one screenplay. If it weren’t so obsequious, I might find it clever.

So let me take you through this – because Rocky is such a complex character and his adventures so nuanced, Gavin O’Conner decided to break him into two people, brothers Tommy (Tom Hardy) and Brendan (Joel Edgerton). Tommy, a sullen tattooed bruiser, represents Rocky’s animal force and brooding intensity. He handles Rocky’s pure aggression (Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky IV), Rocky’s battle for self respect (Rocky), Rocky’s father-figure/trainer issues (Rocky), Rocky’s rematches (Rocky II, Rocky III) and Rocky’s blunt-force trauma (Rocky Balboa). Physics teacher Brendan is softer, a family man. He represents Rocky’s humanity (Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky V, Rocky Balboa), Rocky’s battle with age (Rocky III, Rocky V, Rocky Balboa), Rocky’s defeat of Communism (Rocky IV), Rocky’s money issues (Rocky , Rocky II, Rocky V) and Sly’s ability to win when he’s outmatched (Rocky III, Rocky IV). When they clash, Brendan and Tommy together represent Rocky’s battle with himself (Rocky II). Oh, and like Rocky films, there’s a great deal more action than there is in real fighting.

Nick Nolte is here acting. Don’t you love it when Nick Nolte acts? He gets the Burgess Meredith part, even getting to add to it being the actual father and a recovering alcoholic. I guess we had to add something to the Rocky compilation. I wish they hadn’t. Neither son likes his father, so both Tommy and Brendan come off as bitter and petty, especially when Nick is acting. The only relationship I liked in the film was between Brendan and wife Tess (Jennifer Morrison); they have almost two full scenes together.

Warrior didn’t have the balls to let either of its fighters ever lose. I felt like Gavin was saying to us, “I want to make a gritty street movie, but, you know, not that gritty.” Yup, Rocky all the way. Sort of.

Joel Edgerton is the Tom Berenger of this generation. That’s cool, because we needed another Tom Berenger, I guess. Tom Hardy looks the result of what you’d get if took Cillian Murphy, extracted all the slimy smarm and conniving from his personality and made it into pure tattoed muscle. I’ll give you this – if you like UFC fighting, you’ll probably like this movie. Plenty of action, a little strategy and some serious badassery, aside from the ball-less stuff, of course.

Rated PG-13, 140 Minutes
D: Gavin O’Connor
W: Gavin O’Connor, Anthony Tambakis & Cliff Dorfman
Genre: Rocky
Type of person most likely to enjoy this film: UFC fans.
Type of person least likely to enjoy this film: People who tire of the fighter metaphor.