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| Released: |
2009 |
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| Genre: |
ACTION
DRAMA
SPORTS
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| Origin: |
US |
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| Length: |
105 |
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t’s a struggle to stay awake. |
Reviewed by Chris Tookey
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The uncompromising title suggests another Raging Bull, but really this tale of a provincial hunk punching his way into the New York underbelly is more like a bantamweight version of Midnight Cowboy.
In its favour, the New York locations are gritty and atmospheric. Channing Tatum (pictured) looms charismatically as the up-and-coming bareknuckle fighter, and Terrence Howard is engagingly shifty as his would-be promoter, who’s not above “throwing” a bout in return for ready cash.
Unfortunately, Dito Montiel’s direction is efficient without being even slightly exciting. The screenplay by Robert Munic and Montiel is hand-me-down, and the twist has been seen dozens of times before. The talented cast deserved better than turgid direction and a cliched script. You’d be better off watching a Ricky Hatton fight. It would, apart from anything else, be shorter.
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