Warrior Review [2]

Posted by Jeffrey Harris on 09.10.2011

Has the era of quality MMA-themed movies finally arrived? Find out as Jeffrey Harris checks in with his full review of the new movie, Warrior.



Directed By: Gavin O'Connor
Written By: Gavin O'Connor, Anthony Tambakis, and Cliff Dorfman
Runtime: 140 minutes
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense mixed martial arts fighting, some language and thematic material.

Brendan Conlon - Joel Edgerton
Tommy Riordan - Tom Hardy
Paddy Conlon - Nick Nolte
Tess Conlon - Jennifer Morrison
Frank Campana - Frank Grillo
Principal Zito - Kevin Dunn
Bryan Callen - Himself
Sam Sheridan - Himself
Josh Rosenthal - Himself
Dan "Punkass" Caldwell - Himself
Timothy "Skyscrape" Katz - Himself
J.J. Riley - Gavin O'Connor
Jon Anik - Himself
Rashad Evans - Himself
Pete "Mad Dog" Grimes - Erik Apple
Kurt Angle - Koba
Anthony Johnson - Orlando "Midnight" Le
Nate Marquardt - Karl Kruller

Three and a half years ago I lamented when I reviewed
Never Back Down about the lack of quality MMA-themed movies that refused to showcase mixed martial arts as a legitimate sport and athletic competition. Even a movie like Redbelt, helmed by famed writer and director David Mamet, failed to live up to expectations as Mamet was absolutely clueless in how to properly showcase and film MMA to make it look compelling in a narrative feature. Never Back Down, despite its many failures, did at least manage to show that MMA can be shot well and made to look cool and impressive in a narrative setting. And now the movie Warrior has finally arrived. It appears writer-director Gavin O'Connor (Director of such movies as Miracle and Pride and Glory) is the first filmmaker to finally have the stones to make the first of what I hope is many Great American MMA movies.

The story centers around two people, Tommy Riordan (Hardy) and Brendan Conlon (Edgerton). Tommy has returned to his hometown of Pittsburgh, mum on the details of his whereabouts. A former high level wrestler in school and possibly professional fighter beforehand, Tommy crosses paths again with his estranged father, Paddy (Nolte), a recovering alcoholic. Tommy seeks Paddy's help for fight training, but nothing else as the wounds of Paddy's alcoholism and abuse are still fresh and unhealed in Tommy's eyes.

Concurrently, Brendan, Paddy's oldest son, is trying to maintain domestic bliss with his lovely and beautiful wife Tess (Morrison) and their two young daughters. Unfortunately, despite the two working several jobs together, they are buried under mountains of debt and their house is on the verge of default. Despite having a rewarding job as a high school physics teacher where he is beloved by his students, Brendan feels he has no place else to turn but back to his life as a professional MMA fighter. Brendan attends "smoker fights" at local bars much to the chagrin of Tess, and it lands Brendan in hot water with his school's principal, Zito (Dunn). The incident lands Brendan on suspension, so he joins up with his old MMA trainer Frank (Grillo) to train and fight full time.

Tommy gains some quick online fame and notoriety when in a sparring session he knocks out a top level middleweight fighter Mad Dog Grimes (Apple). The video also gains the attention of marines in Iraq who recognize Tommy from the marine corps when he busted open the doors of a submerged tank and saved his fellow comrades from drowning. Tommy insists to keep his past close to the vest though and the chip on his shoulder couldn't get any larger.

Eventually, fate brings both Tommy and Brendan together in a mixed martial arts tournament dubbed Sparta where sixteen competitors fight over the course of two nights to determine the winner. Tommy and Brendan both begin in opposite brackets of which they become aware of both outside and eventually inside the cage. There is little background information to be found on Tommy since he opts out of attending media events, and he goes by the maiden name of his late mother, Riordan. Brendan wishes to mend fences with Tommy, but Tommy is unable to let go of his anger toward his broken family.

Warrior delivers in creating a quality MMA-themed story rife with strong family drama and great acting performances. Edgerton and Hardy both play tremendous, faceted underdog characters. Hardy himself has built up quite an impressive resume over the years and has become a breakout star in the last year, and you see it no less here in his physical transformation as a soldier carrying the weight of extreme guilt on his shoulders. Edgerton brings it as the working class, average joe family man who is the type of guy you often find in MMA. In a great and ultimately humorous scene with Dunn's Principal Zito, Edgerton's Brendan does well in circumventing many of the arguments and preconceived many critics have against MMA fighters.

Nolte is at his absolute saltiness as Paddy. This is Nolte's best dramatic performance in ages and probably one of his sympathetic as well as an alcoholic desperate to hang on to his sobriety and try and repair what is left of his broken family. Morrison is absolutely adorable and loveable as Brendan's wife, and she has some of the best reactionary and tension-breaking moments in the film.

Besides quality acting and performances, the movie does well in legitimizing the world of MMA on film by integrating real life personalities and fighters of the sport throughout the film. The Sparta tournament is often framed and set up through the real life ESPN program, MMA Live, featuring cameos by analysts such as Jon Anik and former UFC champion Rashad Evans. Real life MMA fighters such as Nate Marquardt and Anthony Johnson are featured as competitors in the Sparta tournament. This works so much better than excrement such as the absolutely awful garbage that was the unspeakable Never Surrender with Quinton "Ramage" Jackson making cracks about Hector Echevarria being gay or Georges St. Pierre's voice being horrendously dubbed over.

The MMA fight sequences themselves are amazing to watch onscreen and are tremendously well shot and executed, once again proving David Mamet wrong. They have great pacing and are never boring. The fight sequences do streamline actual MMA bouts and are a little sped up, but provide an accurate and intense view of how fights go. The fight sequences also have visceral, almost "you are there inside the cage" feel. O'Connor builds the tension of the eventual clash between Tommy and Brendan expertly to a point when it comes time for the two to fight, you are highly anticipating it but almost wish it wouldn't happen because the story has built to where you want to see neither guy lose. This happens to me often when I watch two fights fight because they are two guys I have become a fan of and while I'm anxious to see the fight, I am just as anxious about not wanting to see either guy lose.

Now the movie is not. It does come off a little cliché and predictable at times. That does not make the movie bad, but there are times the story comes off like it could be a little more imaginative and creative. Some subplots and scenes are not addressed and resolved as much as you would like later on.

In terms of the story and MMA, the movie does take quite a few short cuts. Certain matters in terms of plot evolve a little too easily. The story sort of puts aside showcasing doctors, medical, and state officials overlooking fights at ringside and checking on the fighters in the cage. But overall these are minor nitpicks and do not take away too much from an overall exhilarating picture and experience.

The 411: Warrior could quite possibly be to the sport of MMA what Rocky and Raging Bull were to boxing on film. For really the first time on film, MMA is depicted as an actual sport and not illegitimate underground and illegal fighting. With UFC poised for more greatness and to be in the public eye more than ever, I see this film as an equally strong start to MMA's portrayal in other media such as film and television.

Final Score:  9.0   [  Amazing ]