Resurrecting the Champ Reviews

Among the movies I've most wanted to see in the last few years, Resurrecting the Champ was a real letdown. The story is supposed to be about a journalist and a boxer, and yet - for some reason - the family story is pushed to the forefront. I don't care about the man's marriage, and I don't care about his son. Tell me about the journalist and the boxer. Slow, melodramatic and cringe-worthy in places (double whammy: bad dialogue AND bad acting!), this film was not half as good as it could have been.

This film took me to unexpected places. I figured I was in for another formula fight film, but, in spite of an awesome performance from Jackson, the film isn't really about the ex boxer at all. The meat of the film is the resurrecion of the reporter, who is trying to live with the ghost of his famous father, as he deals with not only that, but professional ethics.

The film is just a bit ambiguous about how much due dillegence he put in (or should have), but when all signs were leading to gold, I can see where you wouldn't want to stop the speeding train to question certain aspects and coincidences a bit deeper.

This story kept me in my seat and watching Jackson as the punch drunk "champ" was a wondrous view into method acting - all the little mannerisms and especially the somehow energetic shuffle that achingly told of a body that is simply unable to do and go where the brain tells it to.

I'm not much of a Sam Jackson fan but he did a good job in this movie. Not really a sports flix, Good Story Base. Worth the buy or the Rent, Will add to my collection.

Pretty good movie, I really liked it. When up-and-coming sports writer Erik Kernan saves a homeless man from a scrape with a group of rowdy college kids, he unwittingly finds himself face to face with no ordinary bum, but Champ, the one-time boxing great Bob Satterfield. What begins as a story resurrecting a once-great man turns into an incredible journey, and an opportunity for Erik to reexamine his own life, his relationship with his young son and his recently separated wife.

Any screenwriter who has researched the sport of boxing could instantly tell moviegoers their favorite fight flick, be it Raging Bull, Requiem for a Heavyweight, or Million Dollar Baby. Explaining the ?why,? however, would prove a less quick-footed answer?-due in part to the argument that said movies are not fight flicks but, rather, a bio-pic/character study/morality play. The same could be said of valiant effort Resurrecting the Champ, which is more an essay on journalistic integrity than boxing. Though not a good fight flick (or good flick period, for that matter), this fumble-footed ?true story? fights hard to win. Rounded out with too many questionable choices (direction, editing, casting), however, the movie ends up on the ropes.

In the PG-13-rated Resurrecting the Champ, a struggling sports writer (Hartnett) believes that a homeless man (Jackson) could be a once-great boxing champion.

From the outset, Hartnett?s sports writer is accused of having no actual substance or style behind his words, which, ironically, also defines the underlying problem with Resurrecting the Champ. Though based on an actual experience, nothing smacks of authenticity. Supporting players Alan Alda and David Paymer act rings around Hartnett, Jackson?s forced nasally delivery astounds more than endears, the script gives children the voice of a young adult, and - worse yet - the movie doesn't know when to end. Director Rod Lurie even includes an entire scene starring Teri Hatcher as a TV exec who outright states the plainly obvious moral dilemma facing the writer?-a scene that clearly could have been excised.

Bottom line: Fair to middleweight.

The film is a little predictable, but the performances of Sam Jackson, Josh Hartnett, Kathryn Morris, and Alan Alda make this film worth seeing. Even though, The Soloist hasn't come out yet, this film sort of reminds me of what that film might be like. I am hoping that will be a better film than this one.

As much as I am a phenomenal boxing fanatic...This was a pretty good drama...along the lines of "Million Dollar Baby"...with the feel bad for the broken professional fighter theme in it...it was pretty good. This time a investigative reporter has it's turn on hard it is to report..."the news"... See it!

Great actiung, and superb direction lead this film into the ring of gold.

Journalist-boxer redemption tale grows mawkish in final act.

Compelling film, great performance by Samuel L. Jackson..he should have received an Oscar nomination for this film. Josh Hartnett put on a good performance as well.

This movie follows the story of a up and coming sports writer who just wants to make a break for himself and get out of the shadow of his late father who he is named after and was a famous sports broadcaster in comes Samuel L Jackson as a homeless down on his luck ex boxer who he saves from some kids trying to beat him up the writer played by Josh Harnett decides to do a story on him only to come and find out this ex boxer has some secrets of his own. Really well done drama worth checking out for the performance by Jackson

Really good performances from Josh Hartnett and Samuel Jackson. I loved the story, it was really good movie that slipped under my radar but I am glad I got around to seeing it.

A good movie with an interesting story plot. Fine performances by Samuel L. Jackson and Josh Hartnett. If you dig drama, this is it.

I must admit that Resurrecting the Champ literally knocked me out somewhere around the end of the 7th round of a bout scheduled for 10. I hung in for as long as I could, but eventually I was overcome by fatigue. The one-two combination of Josh Harnett's ringside, rope-a-dope, sports reporter and Samuel L. Jackson collecting a paycheck as the homeless, ex-champ was too much for this fighter to take. I'd suggest you start your endurance training now if you plan to get in the ring with these two anytime soon.

Great performance by Samuel L. Jackson. Not just great it's one of the best performances in his career. The story is ok. it could have been better...

Rod Lurie (The Contender) directs this surprising and intriguing true story of a champion boxer who is living on the streets homeless. A great tale of the power of hope, trust, and most importantly family. A strange story, but a great film, I guarantee this one will you catch you off guard. The twist in the story is strange, and well it's just downright weird but it kept me engaged, wondering all the way through. One of the better boxing films that I have seen, it's no Hurricane or Raging Bull, but that being said it's an entertaining tale that's for sure.
Samuel L Jackson and Josh Hartnett star. Jackson's role is one of his best as a homeless ex boxing champ. Hartnett is also likeable as an up and coming sports writer. Resurrecting The Champ is a very likeable and quite a powerful film as well. It also features good acting by Rachel Nichols and Kathryn Morris. Good film.

A very good movie that doesn't take long for you to enjoy. Samuel L. Jackson amazing, considering everything else he has done...just plain amazing here.

"An amazing underated movie, Sam Jackson is always a great actor for me but he was stunning in this. Josh Hartnett gave the best performance of his career, just an amazing movie."

A very compelling movie, a movie that compels you to be your absolute greatest, even when the odds say that you should be used up and dead already. Samuel L Jackson plays a role that is very different from his usual persona, one that is very versatile and three dimensional. The best part was his way of handling problems and the way he figured life to be. Alan Alda and Josh Hartnett put up great parts, but they paled in comparison when the grand scheme of things came. One of the things they kind of over-played was Hartnett's character with his son, those scenes got kind of old after a little while, and the over-usage of his story over-lapping Samuel L Jackson's kind of elongated the film to a point where I had to take off a star from my rating. Otherwise, it was an A-Class movie all around. Kudos to Lurie.

Samuel L. Jackson is a great character actor and he really shines in this movie that is otherwise dull.