Warrior, starring Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton

You can never go wrong with a boxing film. Period. Even though we've seen the formula a billion times before in everything from Raging Bull to The Fighter, there's something special about the fight game that makes it the perfect microcosm of life itself.  And that extends perfectly well to any of the brawler flicks we've seen, like The Wrestler only a couple of years ago. It's the man vs. man dynamic, the "all or nothing" aesthetic, perfectly lending itself to crowd pleasing underdog stories. It's a formula that works without fail, and in the first such film centered around the brutal sport of mixed martial arts, Warrior overcomes the cliches to be a resounding triumph.

MMA is a sport steeped in pure violence, and emotion. Warrior embodies this not only in it's scary authentic cage brawls, but in the scathing family dynamic that is the film's emotional core. Tommy(Tom Hardy), a military vet suddenly returned home under the roof his formerly abusive, alcoholic father, Paddy(Nick Nolte). A former wrestling champ molded under his father's harsh tutelage, Tommy puts aside the hate he has and asks to be trained one more time for an worldwide MMA tourney with a $5M payout.

On the other end of the spectrum is his older brother, Brendan. A former pro of the caged octagon, Brendan has since moved on with his life but is being crushed by the obstacles life has thrown in his way.  Now a schoolteacher with a family, a house facing foreclosure, and a daughter in desperate need of medical care, Brendan jumps back into the fight game beating up local jabronies for quick cash. His wife(Jennifer Morrision) of course doesn't approve. Do they ever? Even Talia Shire hated watching Rocky get his head beat in....from her front row seat. The ladies always come around in the end. Unbeknownst to anyone, Brendan enters the same tournament. The two brothers speeding towards a violent resolution like a runaway train to a brick wall.

"Must be hard to find a woman who can take a punch these days". Tommy's cruel words towards his father leave more devastating wounds than any punch or hammer lock.  For his part, Paddy is so intent on making up for his past sins that he'll take the verbal barrage from both of his boys. The guilt has weighed him down for so long, it's the only thing that seems to get him out of the bed in the morning. Even as Paddy struggles to overcome his personal demons, Tommy snipes at him relentlessly, sadistically.  But that's nothing compared to the hate the two brothers have for each other, stoked by accusations of abandonment. This is a family that would not do Thanksgiving dinners well.

Nick Nolte, who has experienced a career resurgence over the last year, is as good as he's ever been. He plays a shattered, defeated man with the heaviness of a seasoned pro. If he doesn't get nominated for a Best Supporting Oscar it'll be a travesty. If there's anyone out there who still questions Christopher Nolan's decision to cast barrell chested Tom Hardy as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, his feral, untamed performance here will remove all doubts. He is a menacing presence every moment he's on screen, to the point that you fear anyone and everyone he has even a casual conversation with. He always appears to be on the verge of scooping someone up and slamming their head against the pavement. Joel Edgerton, star of last year's Aussie hit, Animal Kingdom, is the film's calming influence. His role is less complicated than Hardy and Nolte's, but he makes for a solid everyman. For the MMA fanatics, there's a healthy mix of recognizable pros adding to the film's authenticity. Former gold medalist(and MMA hopeful) Kurt Angle is a convincing unstoppable champion, even if calling him a Russian is a tad silly and invites comparisons to Ivan Drago. Frank Grillo is great as Brendan's friend and eventual trainer.

Gavin O'Connor knows his way around an underdog story, having directed 2004's Miracle, the film based on the fabled "Miracle on Ice" at the 1980 Winter Olympics. The reason why he's so good at it is that he's not afraid to put every single emotion out there on the table, no matter how hokey it may seem. I had a good time poking fun at the film while watching it, but by the time it was over I was undeniably hooked. There is a complexity to these characters that forces you to become emotionally invested in them. If I had a complaint it's that I think the script by O'Connor and a couple of others throws too many curveballs into the mix. A twist involving Tommy's military service is an unnecessary wrinkle, although I have to admit it made the outcome of the final match a little more uncertain.

I hesitate to call Warrior a great film. I don't consider Rocky to be a classic, despite the popular opinion of others. But Warrior is good enough to stand on the top of those steps with Rocky and raise it's fists in glorious victory.

Trav's Tip: Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, and even former Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle all had to go through 2 1/2 months of intense MMA training for their roles in the film.