Michael Ledo
Imagine living in a world where every movie plot is fashioned from the Karate Kid. In this movie it is boxing instead of karate. I must give kudos to the casting director for being able to find people whose acting ability were on par with Mr. Austin. At times the acting and script was so hokey I found myself laughing at the serious moments of the movie, such as when boy Matthew first tells his mom and step-dad he wants to box. The lines and acting were so bad, I thought this might be a comedy. This might be a good movie for tweens, but beyond that it's a bust. One bright spot was Emma Grabassky, the young girl who played Matthew's gf. I can't figure out how she slipped through the bad actors only screen.What I really want to know is how does one get funding for this type of tripe? You go the studio and say, "I have written a screen play stolen from the Karate Kid. I have substituted the word "boxing" for "karate." I got Steve Austin to play Mr. Miyagi and he promises never to smile and to only speak in truisms. We are going to find worse actors than Austin, so as not to upstage him. We won't have a decent soundtrack either and the director is blind." I think a movie about trying to sell this film would have been more entertaining.
stefgrig
Well this is a story told lots of times , the underdog that comes out alright in the end .And it feels a bit like the karate kid goes boxing . And I'm not really a Steve Austin fan .But strangely enough it works . The story while not original kept me , and that's saying a lot . The box-kid is an interesting character so is Steven Austin as coach . Austin is not a great actor , but he makes up to it with attitude and stature . And in my opinion keeping it real was smart .Not much else to say , I enjoyed it , but nothing to write home about . While I think it appeals mostly to teens , its not a bad movie for any age , and I for one like the "you can do it if u set your mind to it " message .
steve1925
I was pleasantly surprised with respect to the execution of the actors. Some of the previous reviews simply didn't get it! Young Matthew Miller played by Daniel Magder (Life with Derek's Edwin) was transformed over the course of the film from a bumbling geek to a self confident young man at the conclusion of the film. He displayed the stark contrast in character between the role he played at the beginning of the film and the end. At the start of the movie Matthew was in a place he didn't want to be and had to sacrifice his academic arena for the sake of his mother. He was nervous, angry and self conscious and displayed his emotions and feelings with an awkwardness both physically and emotionally. This is a much different role than that of Edwin in "Life with Derek". I believe he pulled it off beautifully. Steve Austin was consistent throughout the film showing a "soft side" and yet he was still rough around the edges given his checkered past. He played the role beautifully. Nice job Steve!!!Matthew's mother came across as annoying which added balance to the story. If the kids were shown as professional boxers the credibility of the film would have suffered. These are teenagers in middle school just learning the craft of boxing, not seasoned veterans.Yes, definitely a "feel good" story and yet not over the top. The lesson that the film depicts should not be lost on today's young generation. The old adage, when you fall, pick yourself up and try again, rings out load and clear.This movie is a winner!!!
Trail Boss
I am a Steve Austin fan: Loved "The Condemned" and "Damage", and most of his other films. I think the folks who slammed him with the negative reviews were a bit harsh and unfair. Is he "Oscar" material? No. Does he do Shakespeare type material? No. His "genre" is pulp type fiction for the masses! My only real benchmark for a good movie is this: Do I feel better after watching a movie, than I did before I watched it? In this case: yea! It was pretty good. A little campy but...overall, I gave it a 10 for meeting expectations and for the above mentioned reason as well. Actually, I give this movie a "7", to be honest: the extra "3" is to spite the negative reviewers and their vitriol!! I love the way the folks leaving the terrible reviews accuse anyone who actually *liked* the movie of being shills!! I assure you: I live in Ocean County, NJ and I don't work for Hollywood or the production company...nor do I know, personally, Steve Austin! Which of course puts me in the *other* box they accuse those of us who like the film of being in: We are retards!! LOL!! If we actually like the movie they are bashing, and we are not shills or work for the production company, then we are just stupid, or retarded! Wow! I think that that mindset, on their part, is very telling! Says a lot about them, don't you think? Anyway, Thanks Steve Austin, for making an enjoyable film (again!) and I wish you much success in the future! STONE COLD FOR PRESIDENT: 2012!!! J/K!!
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