I found some enjoyment by watching it as though it were an updated, Americanized version of some 1980 Hong Kong movie about training at the Shaolin Temple ... which it pretty much is, come to think of it.
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06/08/06
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Peaceful Warrior (2006)
24
%
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Reviews Counted:71
Fresh:17
Rotten:54
Average Rating:4.7/10
Consensus: Based on a best-selling memoir, Peaceful Warrior loses something in the transition from page to screen. It hits the viewer over the head with philosophical jargon, and ultimately fails to live up to its source material.
Synopsis: Arrogant, talented Dan Millman seems to have the perfect college life: a stunning gymnast's body of incredible strength, handsome looks, good grades, plenty of money and a shot at the Olympic... [More]
Starring: Ashton Holmes, Nick Nolte, Scott Mechlowicz, Amy Smart
Director: Victor Salva
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Reviews for Peaceful Warrior
It may often seem like an extra-pretentious Karate Kid for grown-ups, but Warrior's soul lessons go much deeper, to universally vital places.
06/02/06
The sometimes dreamy pace of Peaceful Warrior is offset by good rapport among Nolte, co-star Scott Mechlowicz and an engaging ensemble cast.
06/01/06
Top Critic...surprisingly inventive...
10/31/08
A rousing drama about an egocentric and restless young gymnast's spiritual transformation.
05/29/06
[A] watchable exercise in Zen hokum.
03/30/07
You will not learn how to levitate to the roof of a service station. In fact, the answer to that part of the story is a lemon -- but you knew it would be, didn't you?
03/23/07
By turns a riveting study of the world of competitive gymnastics, a parable for an alternative vision for today's society, and a study in the psychology of mentoring, 'Peaceful Warrior' is a satisfying movie-going experience, with or without 'the message.
06/01/06
It's the director's willingness to toughen conventions through personal idiosyncrasies that sets the film apart.
07/18/06
Ever elusive, it always keeps you off balance enough to make you want to see more.
06/22/06
Peaceful Warrior is an inspirational story of the making of a true athlete. It's a bit hokey but you get by that whenever [Nick] Nolte is on the screen.
07/23/06
Admittedly, I suspected it might be kind of cheesy, but the film is directed with great grace and care. And the acting is solid. It's a beautiful film -- see it.
07/30/06
Strong performances by Scott Mechlowicz as Millman and Nick Nolte as the mysterious mechanic who changes his life ground the film in effective drama.
05/02/06
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06/27/07
In a Hollywood of leading boy-men, Nolte's commanding performance is a throwback to a time when movie virility wasn't an anomaly.
07/12/06
...a powerful tale of enlightenment and redemption that conveys emotional uplift even if it's unlikely to win many spiritual converts.
06/26/06
The film's tone is indeed mystically propelled, but while these elements seem far fetched, the sheer depth of commitment by the cast make us overlook that.
03/23/08
If you're looking for earnest wisdoms delivered with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer to the skull, look no further than the screen adaptation of Dan Millman's self-help bestseller, The Way of the Peaceful Warrior.
06/01/06
ridiculously cheesy
06/01/06
The filmmakers can't be faulted for trying; it's a decent effort, but nevertheless misses out in both the mind and body categories, and rather overdoes the spirit.
06/02/06
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