Aug. 6: Warrior

"The youngest son of an alcoholic former boxer returns home, where he's trained by his father for competition in a mixed martial arts tournament - a path that puts the fighter on a collision corner with his older brother."

Directed by: Gavin O'Connor, Rated: PG-13, 140 minutes

Warrior is one of the most under-appreciated movies in recent memory. It's a film that flew almost completely under the radar last year and was dismissed as something that tried to emulate the impact The Fighter had the year before. Warrior is a far superior film and it's sad the only recognition the film received from the Academy was a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Nick Nolte. It's a terrible shame, because Warrior is one of the best sports movies of all time, driven by stellar performances that turn the film into an instant classic. It's both brutal and hard to watch, for the unflinching portrayal of the sport of mixed martial arts as well as the heart-breaking dynamic between the family at the center of the film. 

It's Rocky without the montage. 

The story follows two estranged brothers, Brendan (Joel Edgerton) and Tommy (Tom Hardy) and their ex-alcoholic father, Paddy (Nick Nolte) who's trying his hardest to stay clean and rebuild his relationships with his two boys. Each brother has his own demons and struggles his facing, with Brendan, a physics teacher, having financial troubles and facing foreclosure and Tommy who's having a hard time coping with his life after doing a tour in Iraq. Brendan is the family man who has everything to lose and Tommy is the mysterious, troubled individual who seemingly only wants to find an outlet for his rage. Both brothers find themselves back in the world of mixed martial arts cage fighting and enter in the sport's biggest tournament, with a prize of $5 million. Tommy trains under his father, testing their relationship even more, and Brendan trains under Frank (Frank Grillo) and the amateur's strengths and abilities are immediately put to the test. 

Although Hardy can't seem to find any good opponents. 

Warrior is a movie all about the performances. Each character is completely different than the next, and the dynamic between all of them feels all too natural. A lot of the dialogue feels real and the interactions between all of them is so hard to watch because of how close to home it hits. Nick Nolte, especially, steals the show as Paddy, and each of his scenes showcasing his struggles to become a part of his sons' lives again breaks your heart. He's phenomenal in the role and not only gives the best performance of his career, but one of the best of the past few years. Joel Edgerton shows great range as Brendan and shows signs that he's ready to be a star. I've followed the guy for the past few years and have been waiting for him to breakout and Warrior could have been the perfect movie for him to do so, had it gotten more attention. And, as always, Tom Hardy shines as Tommy. It's a role tailored for his acting as well as his physique (he's Bane-ripped in this) and although his character is not the most likable at times, there's no denying he's quite the badass and seeing his story unfold is one of the most surprising parts of the film. The two men are so good in their roles and their characters' motivations so well developed, it's incredibly hard to choose who you want to see win it all. Edgerton and Hardy's dedication to the roles is more than evident, and most of the realism of the film can be attributed to the two men's talent. 

Hell hath no fury like a Batman villain in a cage. 

Warrior is a rare kind of film. It uses a lot of the ideas we're familiar with in a sports movie, but instead of making it feel overused and cliche, turns it on its head and makes a very suspenseful and enjoyable movie. Even if you're not a fan of mixed martial arts, there's nothing that would confuse you. In this fact, it's surprising that a film about something the majority of the population no very little about could be so damn good. That's credit to the strength of the film and is one of the many reasons why Warrior deserves to be seen. Do yourself a favor and watch it. It was just recently added to Netflix so there really is no excuse. 

The Good:

an honest look at the brutality of the sport of MMA and seeing the beatings dished out and received

The Better:

taking a seemingly formulaic sports movie and turning it into an instant classic, even giving Rocky a run for its money

The Best:

three performances at the center of the film filled with undeniable talent and a heart-wrenching Nick Nolte turning you into a mess

Overall: 9.1/10

Trailer:

March 1: The Thing

"At an Antarctica research site, the discovery of an alien craft leads to a confrontation between graduate student Kate Lloyd and scientist Dr. Sander Halvorson."

   One of the first things (hehe) I ever notice when I watch a horror movie is how large the cast is. Logically, the more people, the more deaths, thus the more horror and more awesome. Luckily, The Thing (mind you the 2011 version), has a large cast and, yes, it certainly does mean a lot of deaths. The special effects are very good, the acting is "just enough" and the characters are actually fairly smart for being in a horror movie. When the creature falls, they decide to burn it until it's nothing. Sure, it keeps coming back, but the actual idea of burning the villain until there's nothing left is the kind of thing you yell at the screen, hoping characters in the horror movies actually do what you're shouting. 

Hoarse voices and scratchy throats, the cause- too many stupid people in the movies

   The 1982 version of The Thing is a horror classic, with elaborate, animatronic special effects and a continued sense of paranoia and claustrophobia. Plus, it has Kurt Russell. Now, you think, why would anyone take something so good and decide to do more with it, instead of leaving it untouched? Well, it is Hollywood, but the new The Thing, a prequel, actually adds a decent chunk of history behind the story set up by Russell and crew. Remember the "crazy" Norwegians at the beginning of the '82 The Thing that were chasing a dog? Well the '11 The Thing is everything leading up to and including that scene. It all comes together pretty damn well and definitely made me want to re-watch Kurt Russell kicking some alien ass. 

Hell, I'd re-watch it for that beard alone. 

   Overall, The Thing is enjoyable and adds a decent amount of backstory to an already engaging movie. The violence is constant, as are the awesome special effects. The film may be an addition to the franchise, but even then, the story is a little weak and slightly recycled. There are moments that are fresh and smart, but then there are a handful that may have been trying to pay homage to the '82 The Thing, but end up making it feel almost remake-ity (yes, new word added to my dictionary). I would recommend the film, not just as a prequel to the '82 The Thing, but as a stand alone movie itself. 

The Good:

damn good special effects 

The Bad:

the effects from the '82 version are still better 

The Ugly:

not the strongest story, but still somewhat solid

Overall: 7.2/10

Best Quote:

Lars: "We found a fucking alien! Cheers!"

What To Look For:

a scene featuring the creature fusing a couple people together, through his ridiculously terrifying absorption abilities