RBR: Warrior

When this film came out last fall, I initially dismissed it as something that I would not have any interest in. However, after it received surprisingly strong reviews and earned Nick Nolte an Oscar nomination, I decided to be open-minded and give it a try. The story surrounds two estranged brothers (Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton) who have had different upbringings but have fighting in their blood. When a major MMA tournament is announced both brothers sign up for it hoping for some sort of redemption. Emotions boil over as we arrive at the inevitable conclusion of them facing each other in the finals. Like Real Steel the story doesn't offer the viewer anything too new. However, the acting is solid here, especially Nolte who is worthy of his nomination. The film was also made by people familiar with the sport of Mixed Martial Arts as the fights are expertly filmed and come off as authentic. Perhaps its unfair to compare, but given how close this film came out to the similar and better, The Fighter it's hard not looking at this as a lesser film. Still, if this is a genre you enjoy or if you are a fan of MMA fighting, I feel you'll find this to be an enjoyable film. Rating: *** 1/2