Tommy and Brendan are brothers. They haven't seen each other for years and they don't want to see each other. When their father's alcoholism finally broke the family apart, Brendan stayed with his dad and Tommy went with the mother. When each one independently decides to compete in mixed martial arts (MMA) fighting, it's only a matter of time before they meet up again.
I hate MMA fighting. It doesn't interest me in the least. Nevertheless, as a basis for a sports movie, one activity is as good as another. And this movie does exactly what it's supposed to: you get the training montages, you feel the suspense of each punch and counter-punch, you feel the roar of the crowd and cheer at the victories. The movie has two protagonists and also does a good job of not playing favorites. So although it's inevitable that they'll meet for a big fight at the end, it isn't obvious who's going to win.
Every fighting movie is going to be compared to "Rocky". It's not right necessarily, it just is. And so I have a small complaint about a specific moment in the film. The movie sets up a fight of the unknown Brendan going against an unstoppable machine from Russia known as Koba. Automatically my mind goes to "Rocky IV" but I'm thinking that's unfair. Then, surprise, Brendan's worrywart wife shows up at the match to cheer him on and provide plenty of concerned/excited reaction shots. Alright, I'll let that slide too. But then Koba makes his entrance and it goes too far. Koba and his whole entourage are decked out in Hammer and Sickle-themed clothing. Come on, the Cold War was two decades ago and that's "Rocky IV"! You're doing "Rocky IV"!
Although this movie is certainly not "great", in the "Top 250" sense, I do want to emphasize that it is good. It has exciting action sequences but, like "Rocky", the sequences are meaningful because we know about, and care for, the characters involved.
7/10.
Total "Top 250" Movies Seen: 357.
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