Rocky

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The only remaining evidence that Sylvester Stallone might have had a respectable career, this 1976 Oscar winner (for Best Picture, Director, and Editing) is still the quintessential ode to an underdog and one of the best boxing movies ever made. After writing the script about a two-bit boxer who gets a "million-to-one shot" against the world heavyweight champion, Stallone insisted that he star in the title role, and his equally unknown status helped to catapult him (and this rousing film) to overnight success. The story is familiar, but it has been handled with such vitality and emotional honesty that you can't help but leap and cheer for Rocky Balboa, the chump turned champ (despite his valiant defeat in the ring) who stuns the boxing world with the support of his timid girlfriend, Adrian (Talia Shire), and grizzled trainer, Mickey (Burgess Meredith). Oscar nominations went to all the lead actors (including Burt Young as Adrian's hot-tempered brother), but four sequels could never top the universal appeal of this low-budget crowd pleaser. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Nominated* for 10 Academy AwardsÂ(r) and winner for Best Picture, it's the film that inspired a nation! Audiences and critics alike cheered this American success story of an "everyman" triumphing over all odds. Featuring a dynamic musical score, a thrilling fight sequence and four OscarÂ(r) - nominated* performances, this rousing crowd-pleaser will send spirits soaring. Fighting for love, glory and self-respect, RockyÂ(r) scores an exultant knockout! Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) is a Philadelphia club fighter who seems to be going nowhere. But whena stroke of fate puts him in the ring with a world heavyweight champion, Rocky knows that it's his one shot at the big time - a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go the distance and come out a winner! *1976: Actor (Stallone), Actress (Talia Shire), Supporting Actor (Burgess Meredith, Burt Young), Director (won), Original Screenplay, Original Song, Editing (won), Sound

Customer Reviews:

The original - still the best after all these years.......2007-07-11

Rocky (1976.) (THE FIVE STAR RATING IS FOR THE MOVIE ONLY. FOR MY VIEWS ON THE DVD ITSELF KEEP READING.)

INTRODUCTION:
In 1976, Sylvester Stallone took the world by storm with Rocky. He starred in, wrote, and directed the film. Hard to believe such a low-budget film, created in such a short period of time, would almost instantaneously become a Best Picture winner and, more importantly, a cultural phenomenon. Because the film met with such a promising reception, it spawned several sequels. As such, it's not surprising to see the series has had a number of reissues over the years.

OVERVIEW (DVD):
In recent years, Rocky I-V were all reissued. These reissues (in this line) are all budget-priced reissues, and contain little to no bonus material, and are supposedly a "new digital transfer.)

OVERVIEW (MOVIE):
This is where it all began for Rocky Balboa. He's a nearly thirty years old, and a nobody. He shows serious talent as a boxer, but his income from fighting is considerably lower than it should be, so he has to moonlight as a loan shark. He also makes efforts to win over the heart of a shy pet shop employee. Things don't look like they're going to get any better for Rocky, but then he gets the opportunity of a lifetime - Apollo Creed, the world heavyweight champion, is looking to challenge an up-and-coming fighter for the bicentennial. Rocky accepts the challenge and begins training for what will be the biggest fight of his life - so far.

REVIEW (DVD REISSUES.)
I LOVE the Rocky series. I think the rest of my review sums that up nicely.

I can't say the same for these.

To reissue the Rocky films and make them readily available again is a great idea. To throw them together in a half-assed fashion with weak picture quality and no bonus material is UNACCEPTABLE. I LOVE the movies, but I think all the flaws of these reissues need to be spelled out:

-NO EXTRAS!? Come on! Apart from theatrical trailers there is nothing here. No commentary, no interviews with cast and crew, no behind-the-scenes footage? There is so much bonus material they could have used here, too.

-VERY POOR PICTURE QUALITY. New digital transfers? I beg to differ!The picture has a TON of static, particularly noticeable against black backgrounds. Why is it that MGM was able to do stunningly-beautiful picture quality in the James Bond box sets but the Rocky films look like crap?

-NO LINER NOTES OF ANY KIND. This kind of speaks for itself.

OVERALL:
To put it simply, great film franchise, bad reissues. If you're going to get the films, I suggest either waiting for a two-disc special edition of every film (which will probably never happen) or getting these individual issues from independent sellers on Amazon (they usually have them for VERY cheap.)

EDITION NOTES:
You should have no trouble finding these reissues since they are quite recent.

One of the Best.......2007-06-27

This is one of the best, if not the best, movie with a sports theme. You just can't help but feel you are actually there, and can't help but root for your favorite characters in the film.

Both a Classic and a Beginning.......2007-02-14

This is one of the rare movies that could have stood well on its own, but ended up being just the beginning to a number of impressive sequels. Generally speaking, I don't like Hollywood heroes. But this is one exception. It works because Rocky is very human and real. (Granted, a great deal of the credit probably belongs to Director John Avildsen who has a real talent for artistic beauty and realism. For that matter, I consider him second only to Directors John Badham and Franco Zeffirelli.) Moving to the subject at hand, the story focuses on a down on his luck everyman. (Namely Rocky) The opening scene is effective as Rocky takes part in a brutal club boxing match. He gets injured for $65, and right away he can only pocket about $43. (due to club fees). We later learn that he works as an enforcer for a loan shark named Tony Gazzo. But interestingly, he reveals his human side when against Gazzo's directions, he refuses to break a late payer's thumb. Moving on, Rocky has his eyes on his friend Paul's sister Adrian. It is interesting that instead of showing herself to be the beauty queen she is, Talia Shire makes Adrian appear less than perfect. (Almost geeky.) This actually works in making the very human Rocky attracted to a very human woman. She is notably reluctant and shy, and Rocky wins her affection by being kind to her. (Not using wicked seduction techniques that Hollywood often glorifies.) The scene where he takes her skating and tells her about himself is a scene of artistic beauty. Later, the current boxing champ Apollo Creed runs into some hard luck. His big fight has been called off because the top contender had a medical problem. The clever Apollo Creed rather than cancelling the match, decides to give a 'local underdog' a chance for the world title. (Guess who gets the chance.) While the movie leads us into cheering for Rocky, we really have no legitimate reason to dislike Apollo Creed. Moving on, Rocky's to be trainer Mick didn't like Rocky because he did work for Tony Gazzo. But Rocky and Mick put aside their differences (after a moment of emotional outbursts). It is interesting that as the movie goes on, Rocky's former boss Gazzo starts to show some redeeming qualities. (Perhaps John Avildsen was trying to show that good will is contagious.) After some beautifully filmed training sequences, Rocky realizes that while he will certainly make the most of his opportunity, it's somewhat absurd to think that he will actually beat Apollo Creed in the ring. But that's alright with him. While we live in a society and age that doesn't look well on 2nd best, Rocky points out that winning isn't so important. What IS important is doing your best! Adults often teach that to children but don't seem to believe it themselves! The final fight between Apollo and Rocky is done surprisingly artfully without being overly brutal. If you like this movie, the sequels for the most part are really impressive. Part 2 starts just where Part 1 left off. 2 remains one of my favorites; chapter 3 gives a surprisingly well done story in that Rocky wins the approval of the former champ; I didn't really like chapter 4 much, but one could argue that it has the interesting theme of technology versus the human spirit; chapter 5 focuses on deception, and remains one of my favorites. (I understand 5 was not so popular. But then Rocky realized that going the distance, even against the odds, was the important thing. So, against the odds, I'll hold to my opinion that Part 5 is one of the best.)

Movie of the Year in 1976 - The Best of the Rocky Movies.......2007-01-03

The original "Rocky", released in 1976, is without a doubt the best of the series of six Rocky movies. It won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1976, and fully lives up to its billing.

Sylvester Stallone wrote the script to this inspiring movie based on the Muhummad Ali - Chuck Wepner fight in 1975, where the unknown and out-matched Wepner dropped Ali, and then went 15 rounds with the Champ. Instead of seeing another boring boxing mismatch as most reporters and fight-fans did, Stallone was instead inspired by the doggged determination of Wepner, the knockdown of Ali, and Wepner's 15 rounds of fame. After seeing the fight in person (he was working security in the sports arena), Stallone holed himself up in his apartment and feverishly wrote the script to "Rocky". Many rerwrites later, Stallone presented the script to a production company and they liked it so much, they offered Stallone up to $330,000 dollars for the script. But there was one catch, Stallone wanted to star as "Rocky" in the film. Not wanting to chance the production on an unknown like Stallone, MGM had its eyes on Ryan O'Neal or Burt Reynolds as the star. Despite being financially impoverished, Stallone so believed that this was his one and only shot at getting into the movie business, he turned down the money. MGM liked the script too much to let it go, so they reluctantly accepted Stallone's terms, and work began on the low-budget movie.

Although inspired by Chuck Wepner, Stallone's Rocky was not based on Wepner's personality or life. Rocky is a rough, tough, street-wise character who works for a loan shark breaking people's thumbs when they don't pay up on time. Yet beneath that rough rocky exterior exists a soft-hearted gem-of-a-man just waiting to be discovered and inspired. Rocky finds his inspiration in his sweet, innocent, and pure love for his girlfriend Adrian (Talia Shire), and also in his trainer, Mickey (Burgess Meredith).

You all know the plot, the amateurish Philadelphia club fighter, Rocky Balboa, gets picked by chance to fight the reigning heavyweight boxing champion, Apollo Creed. Creed is clearly a Muhummad Ali character, played to absolute perfection by another unknown - Carl Weathers. Rocky knows he has no chance to win as he is clearly outmatched ability-wise. Instead, he sets as his goal "to go the distance" (15 rounds), for no one has ever gone the distance with Creed. If he can survive 15 brutal rounds with Creed, then Rocky won't be "just another bum from the neighborhood".

The musical score by Bill Conti is tremendous. The score matches the emotional tone of the movie perfectly. It will have you hurting with every step as Rocky starts his training run at 4 AM, cheering with raised goosebumps during the training scenes with Mickey, and will have you on the edge of your seat with anticipation during the fight with Creed. (You will want to own this soundtrack!)

The casting is perfect. Stallone makes the perfect Rocky Balboa, Shire is wonderful as shy Adrian, who goes through a visual and esteem transformation throughout the movie, and Meredith is the hard-nosed Mick, who transforms the rock of a fighter into a polished gem. Rounding out the cast is Weathers, who is a fantastic "Ali", and Burt Young, who poses perfectly as Adrian's troubled and emotionally abusive brother Paulie.

Don't think of this film as a boxing movie; it is so much more than that. It's a tender love story, a story of a man finding purpose and meaning to his life, and it's an inspiration to all of us who have ever aspired to be more than we can be.

Rocky is a 5-star Academy Award winning movie, and if by chance you have not seen it yet, it is a must-see. If you watched it long ago, it is so good, it is worth another look. I guarantee you will be inspired, excited, and thoroughly thrilled with "Rocky". The movie was a million-to-one shot in 1976, and no one, including MGM, thought they were producing a classic. How wonderful to know that miracles still happen.

Jim "Konedog" Koenig

p.s. Great trivia question for the Rocky fan in your life: What is Mickey's last name??? (Goldmill).

Cut me, Mick. .......2006-12-24

"Rocky" is about a man. It is the story of a man who exceeds past all normal expectations and makes the most out of what he is doing. What is he doing? Boxing. Why? As Rocky says in the film, "You have to be a moron to want to box."

Rocky is played by Sylvester Stallone, whose only other film before "Rocky" was "Weekend at Kitty and Stud's," and, as you can probably guess by the title, it was an X-rated movie. But Stallone gives just about the best performance of his career here. Before he started getting into recycled action movies and unfunny comedies, the man had talent, as seen shining through in "Rocky." Somewhere along the way he lost that talent, but it's pretty evident that he had it at one time.

Stallone wrote the script, which is about a down-on-his-luck Philadelphia man named Rocky Balboa. Rocky is your average tough-guy you see walking down the street, but this film takes a closer look INTO the guy walking past you, and not AT the guy walking past you.

He lives in a beat-up, old apartment, infested with roaches, and he barely makes enough money to support himself. His job? Rocky retrieves money for loan sharks. His real job, however, is to break the loaners' thumbs if they don't pay up. He's a muscle man.

After he returns from his "job" every day, he takes time to do what he has been doing for the past six years, which is boxing. Then, after that, he takes a trip to the local pet store to see the love of his life, Adrian, who works there. He constantly tries to impress her and talk to her, but she is shy and literally does not talk much throughout the entire film.

But things change for Rocky after heavyweight champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) decides that he wants to make a big performance on the 4th of July. He wants to appear nice by letting a regular Joe Schmoe fight him in the ring. All for show, of course. As he is looking through a book of local boxers, he points his finger at the letters THE Italian STALLION, a.k.a. Rocky. He says that fighting an Italian is perfect. "An Italian found America," Creed says. If he fights an Italian-American on the 4th of July, it will be symbolic and will also make Creed look good.

But Rocky doesn't realize this is all for show. When he receives word that Apollo Creed wishes to fight him in the ring, Rocky begins to train long and hard with Burgess Meredith, which results in the famous scene where Rocky runs up an entry of stairs in Philly with the music "Gonna Fly Now" playing in the background. This scene is spoofed by films world-wide, and it's one of the cornerstones in film history. You will see it all the time. It's just one of those film moments that are marked down in history.

The most entertaining thing about "Rocky" is how innocent Sylvester Stallone comes across in his role as Rocky. You feel for him when he is trying to impress Adrian and she shrugs him off. The scene where her brother invites Rocky over, and Rocky keeps saying, "Are you sure she knows I'm coming?" is a sign of how the guy has been put down. And then when she comes over to his apartment, he acts nice and talks to her. He's not trying any moves on her. He just enjoys being with her. Rocky is a bit of an idiot, as he himself admits, but he's a sweet idiot.

And the end, when Rocky fights Apollo Creed, is amazing. A nobody who actually stands a chance against the heavyweight champion of the world. Creed and Rocky are being battered by each other. Creed goes into the opposite corner as Rocky, and one of Creed's managers says, "This guy thinks this thing is for real -- knock him out!" You feel sorry for Rocky there, because he is giving the fight all he's got, when it was just a publicity stunt from the beginning, but he didn't even realize it.

Things like that are what make "Rocky" what it has become over the years. It is a great film, and it has many classic moments that you will see spoofed in films all the time. You should probably see it just for that fact.

But the truth is, if you take away all the underlying intricacies, "Rocky" is just the story of a simple guy who gets a chance to do something amazing, and he gives it all he's got. I think we've all gone through something like that before, and if so, you will be able to identify with "Rocky" all the more.

Average customer rating:

Snatch - Review
rock 'em, sock 'em fun
Snatch
Stealin' stones and Breakin' Bones
wish I would have seen this movie sooner.

Snatch (Superbit Deluxe Collection)
Starring: Ade , William Beck (II) , Andy Beckwith , Ewen Bremner , and Jason Buckham
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00006CXGM
Release Date: 2002-09-17

Amazon.com

Usually it might seem a tad unfair to begin a review by referring to the director's missis. But then the missis in question wouldn't usually be Madonna--a woman whose ability to reinvent herself several times before breakfast seems in marked contrast to that of hubby Guy Ritchie. Certainly, this follow-up to the filmmaker's breakthrough film--the high-energy, expletive-strewn cockney-gangster movie Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels--hardly breaks new ground being, well, another high-energy, expletive-strewn cockney-gangster movie. OK, so there are some differences. This time around our low-rent hoodlums are battling over dodgy fights and stolen diamonds rather than dodgy card games and stolen drugs. There has been some minor reshuffling of the cast too, with Sting and Dexter Fletcher making way for the more bankable Benicio Del Toro and Brad Pitt, the latter pretty much stealing the whole shebang as an incomprehensible Irish gypsy. And, sure, people who really, really liked Lock, Stock--or have the memory of a goldfish--will really, really like this. The suspicion lingers, however, that if the director doesn't do something very different next time around then his career may prove to be considerably shorter than that of his missis. --Clark Collis

Description

The Superbit titles utilize a special high bit rate digital encoding process which optimizes video quality while offering a choice of both DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. These titles have been produced by a team of Sony Pictures Digital Studios video, sound and mastering engineers and comes housed in a special package complete with a 4 page booklet that contains technical information on the Superbit process. By reallocating space on the disc normally used for value-added content, Superbit DVDs can be encoded at double their normal bit rate while maintaining full compatibility with the DVD video format.

Customer Reviews:

Snatch - Review.......2007-08-16

Director Guy Ritchie returns to London's mean streets, rife again with characters such as Bullet Tooth Tony (Vinnie Jones) and Franky Four Fingers (Benicio Del Toro). Several interlocking plots revolve around a scramble for a stolen 86-karat diamond, an attempt to fix a boxing match and ... pigs. Brad Pitt is a standout as a bare-knuckles fighter who speaks a gypsy dialect nobody understands.

rock 'em, sock 'em fun.......2007-08-13

This movie is a fast-paced, fun movie. If you have watched Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels (Widescreen Edition) and liked it, you will enjoy this movie.

Snatch.......2007-07-25

Guy Ritchie's kinetic, ultra-stylish heist film is an amalgam of all the best caper films, rolled out with a punk attitude and bristling Cockney accent. The plot is outrageous but loads of fun (wait until a certain dog swallows a squeaky toy), and the ensemble cast--Statham, Graham, Del Toro, Ford, and Serbedzija--may not all be household names, but their cocky, fiercely funny performances will stay etched in your mind. Nearly stealing the show is Pitt, playing a crooked bruiser whose Gaelic brogue is hilariously incomprehensible to everyone. "Snatch" this punchy, black-humored romp through London's criminal underbelly--before someone else does.

Stealin' stones and Breakin' Bones.......2007-06-27

What a follow-up to "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels!" It's the closest thing to a sequel without being one. Some say that "Snatch" is a poor follow up of Ritchie's first film, I say that this is an improvement on his signature style, an aggressive and a supercharged 21-gun salute to Britain film/filmmakers. The deftness displayed in this writer/director's pacing and editing is at times electrifying and sometimes simply beautiful. The soundtrack is not only superb and includes one of my personal favorite bands, Oasis, and is used to great comic effect as an poignant accompaniment to certain scenes.

In the vein of Pulp Fiction, Trainspotting, and Fight Club, Snatch is a gritty dance with the criminal element, revolving around a stolen 86-karat diamond that any good crook would give his right arm for. (And in one case, I mean that literally.)After a boggling series of double-crosses, triple-crosses, and multi-crosses, Snatch becomes a game of who will end up with the gem -- and how will they get it? Ritchie keeps us guessing at every turn, with Russians hiring mercenary crooks to steal the jewel, hit men sent to kill the mercenaries, mobsters trying to outwit the hit men, Jewish jewelers scheming to undermine the mobsters, a crazed bare-knuckled boxer looking for his payday despite the chaos, and one dog who's lost his bark.

And every one of these stories is hilarious.

Vinnie Jones as Bullet Tooth Tony, a hunter/assassin who chills his prey with deadly stares; Benicio Del Toro (Traffic) is caught-in-the-middle robber/gambling addict; Dennis Farina, a stressed jeweler who can never catch a break; or any of two dozen other apt actors who fully own their roles. In the end, though, you have to give a hand to Brad Pitt, still buff from Fight Club, as a slur-mouthed Gypsy boxer who always manages to get one step ahead of the crowd.

"Snatch" is great. There are some funny lines, and some of the violence is quite inventive. Several times in this movie I was reminded of the "strange occurrences" theme seen in Magnolia. I wholeheartedly recommend this film if you haven't already snatch it.

wish I would have seen this movie sooner........2007-06-21

Guy Ritche slid this one out a few years ago, and I missed it. A good cast including Jason Statham plays Turkish (the transporter, Crank) and Brad Pitt as mickey,the bare knuckle gypsy boxer. Essentially an Action Comedy. Turkish, a unlicenced boxing promoter, narrates the story as it revolves around and 84 carrot Diamond, and what eventually turns out to be a stuggle to try and save his own hide from Brick top, the underground promoter that "tells you what will happen". Its intriguing how thing and paths finally entertwine. Must see. If you like Lock, stock and two smoking barrels, this one I believe is better. And if You like Jason Statham, this movie is good as well. A good movie for any collection.

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The Boxer
"I've lived with your face in silence."
"I'm no killer, but this place makes me want to kill."
Brilliant film, brilliant acting!
THE BOXER - GREAT WITH DAY-LEWIS

The Boxer - DTS
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis , Daragh Donnelly , Frank Coughlan , Sean Kearns , and Lorraine Pilkington
Director: Jim Sheridan
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
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ASIN: 0783230796
Release Date: 1999-05-04

Amazon.com

Yet another potent (although critically underrated) drama from Jim Sheridan and Daniel Day-Lewis, the Irish director and British star (respectively) of My Left Foot and In the Name of the Father. The story focuses on Danny Flynn (Day-Lewis), a promising boxer who had been imprisoned at age 18 for associating with IRA terrorists. After serving a 14-year sentence, he returns to his Belfast neighborhood at a time when local IRA leader Joe Hamill (Brian Cox) is attempting to negotiate a peace treaty with the British. Despite having no further interest in IRA rivalries, Danny finds himself at the center of political and emotional turmoil when he is reunited with his former girlfriend Maggie (Emily Watson, of Breaking the Waves) who, in Danny's absence, married another IRA man who is now in prison. A strict, unwritten law forbids relationships with the wives of IRA prisoners, but as the former boxer channels his energy into reviving a neighborhood boxing gym, the attraction between Danny and Maggie proves irresistible. This gives a strategic advantage to a militant IRA rival who opposes the peace treaty, drawing Danny back into the bitter and potentially deadly struggle between warring IRA factions. Emphasizing the emotional complexities that arise between Danny and Maggie, this powerful, superbly acted drama demonstrates a sharp understanding of the deep-rooted fears and loyalties that fuel the "troubles" in Ireland, where peace seemed to finally (if tentatively) be achieved in the summer of 1998. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

The Boxer.......2007-01-12

This movie role of a struggling boxer was brilliantly acted by Daniel Day Lewis. It's a love story about a man who wants to move on with his life after being imprisoned physically and emotionally, and a woman who is tied to her past.

"I've lived with your face in silence.".......2006-11-28

After reading a couple of mixed reviews about THE BOXER, I delayed seeing it, and I probably would have skipped it entirely if it weren't for the sterling reputations of co-stars Emily Watson and Daniel Day Lewis. (The latter plays the role of Danny Flynn, a man imprisoned for 14 years for his role in an IRA bombing.)

More fool me. THE BOXER slowly impresses the viewer with its complex storyline, quiet demeanor and subtle dialogue. Watson and Lewis absolutely nail their roles as lovers who were separated at the age of 18, and now find themselves in the awkward roles of adults resuming a teenaged courtship. In a Hollywood film, the two would ultimately hop into bed with a rousing musical score; not so here.

While Watson and Lewis bring uncanny eloquence to their soft-spoken characters, perhaps most fascinating about THE BOXER is the culture of Ireland, specifically the political etiquette and sectarian hatred that each character has to dance around with.

SIDELIGHTS: This film is only nominally about boxing. Oh, and the Dublin flats that stand in for this movie's Belfast projects have since been razed, and upscale apartments now stand there.

"I'm no killer, but this place makes me want to kill.".......2006-08-07

'The Boxer' is a riveting story about one man's struggle during 'The Troubles' of Northern Ireland. The setting is Belfast, where the Catholic and Protestant sections are divided by concrete walls, barb-wire fences, and machine-gun toting soldiers. Danny Flynn, played by Daniel Day-Lewis, is a Catholic former IRA member who is released from prison after serving 14 years. He comes home with the intention of resuming his boxing career, and staying out of trouble. He immediately starts up his old gym, and at first, things are going well. Along with his own training, the gym becomes a sort of refuge for neighborhood kids, and boxing becomes a constructive outlet in an otherwise negative environment. But when the gym starts trying to bring together Catholics and Protestants in the name of boxing, some of Flynn's old IRA comrades think he has gone too far. On top of this, Flynn manages to ruffle more feathers by falling back in love with his old girlfriend, who has since married another imprisoned IRA member. Naturally, in the underworld culture of the IRA, this is a big no-no. Realizing his predicament, Flynn decides to leave for London where he attempts to resume his boxing career. But deciding that no one will run him out of his home, he soon returns to Belfast determined to stand his ground and follow his heart.

This film was right up my alley. I am of Irish descent, I'm a huge boxing fan, and also an aspiring historian. So naturally, a boxing film, set in war-torn Northern Ireland would seem to be my kind of movie. I was not disappointed. The boxing scenes were very well done, and Day-Lewis comes off as a very convincing fighter. He is, in my opinion, one of the best and most under-rated actors in the business. His performance here only reinforced that belief. Overall, the acting in the film was fantastic, with several outstanding performances. 'The Boxer' is simply a great film.

Brilliant film, brilliant acting!.......2006-07-15

I have never seen a Daniel Day Lewis film that wasn't a true piece of art. His acting is brilliant. Every role he plays in is so believable. Being Irish an a huge boxing fan I truly loved this film. It gave accurate information on the turmoil that is to this day going on in Ireland. A must see, even for the non boxing fans.

THE BOXER - GREAT WITH DAY-LEWIS.......2006-06-26

Like all really great actors, Daniel Day-Lewis just keeps getting better and better with age. He seems capable of being in any role and delivering the person he is supposed to be. I was fascinated by the fact that he indeed does box and is quite good at it as well. Doesn't surprise me that he is good because this is a man committed to whatever project he undertakes and gives his all. I have not gone into the actual movie here because so many of the reviews reveal so much of the intensity of this marvelous film. I don't think it would have made it without Daniel Day-Lewis. Why isn't he used more frequently? We are missing a lot of wonderful performances. Very good movie about a very sad situation that unfortunately still exists today in many places in this mixed-up world, and did exist in Belfast, Ireland until a relatively short time ago. Thank God there are people that keep trying to come to some kind of resolution when such problems do exist. This movie goes a long way in trying to give a real overview of everyday life that exists when you are forced to live with violence. Try this film. You'll be glad you did.

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