Warrior (2011)

"Warrior" may be one of the best movies of the year that no one sees. That in itself is puzzling. Mixed martial arts and UFC are in the cultural mainstream; in fact MMA is more popular than professional boxing. Director and writer Gavin O'Connor did the amazing "Miracle" a few years back about the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team. So he has the touch for inspirational sports stories. In "Warrior" estranged brothers Brendan Conlon (Joel Edgerton) and Tommy Conlon (Tom Hardy) fight each other in the finals of the winner take all mixed martial arts tournament Sparta in Atlantic City. "Warrior" is an inspired story of family, honor, and redemption. I applauded at the end of the movie along with the rest of the audience.

"Warrior" is a paradox of styles as inspired by its leads. Tommy (Hardy) is the AWOL Marine war hero from Afghanistan. He literally tore off a submerged tank door, saving those inside. Tommy plows through opponents with sheer rage and power. He is explosive technique. We witness this as he savagely dismantles world middle weight contender "Mad Dog" Grimes (cocky Erik Apple) with kicks, punches, and throws in an impromptu sparring session. Tommy mysteriously appears at his Dad's door step in Pittsburgh. He blames Paddy (powerful and sublime Nick Nolte) for the death of his mother. Brendan (Edgerton) is the high school physics teacher and former UFC fighter. He and his wife Tess (strong Jennifer Morrison) work several jobs to pay their upside down mortgage. Brendan gets an entry into Sparta to save his family home. He is smart and willing to take punishment to leverage his opponent's mistakes—getting a tap out. Brendan like Tommy has no love for their recovered drunk Dad (Nolte).

At the narrative arc Brendan says to Tommy, "I love you!" And neither will back down. I think O'Connor and writers Anthony Tambakis and Cliff Dorfman at times overstate the family dysfunction. "Warrior" could have been leaner, as strange as that sounds. The mixed martial arts fighting are world class and many of the fighters are MMA stars. Former professional wrestling champion Kurt Angle is fierce and dominating as Russian champ Koba. His match with Brendan is vicious and amazing. "Warrior" authentically gets the brutality and precision of mixed martial arts. Hardy and Edgerton are awesome. I read that Hardy trained intensely gaining 30 pounds of muscle. He broke ribs and fingers. Edgerton tore his knee out during the shoot.

"Warrior" has a gritty atmosphere that is all about character and adversity. O'Connor seamlessly captures this in the simple camera shots and intimate dialog. He generates amazing performances. Edgerton is the delicate balance of compassion and focus. His Brendan is a good and decent man. Hardy has an electrifying enigmatic presence. He provokes a painful sadness and rage in Tommy, for whom honor and family are everything. Nick Nolte poignantly plays their broken father, who is pivotal in the redemption of his sons. Ultimately, "Warrior" is about forgiveness and love. It is one of the year's best.

Fmovies: The official trailer itself is a little bit of a spoiler. I didn't even have an IMDb account and made one just to rate this movie. One of the best iv ever seen. First movie iv ever cried during, and i cried twice lol. Whether your a guy who likes fighting movies or a girl who doesn't know what MMA stands for, this movie will blow you away. Seriously, I don't know how anyone could watch this and think it wasn't at the very least, a Very Good movie. It kept me on the edge of my seat, and its also more realistic the most fighting movies. Watching rocky and most box office fighting films, there tends to be over-dramatized punching noises and the boxers seem to fight without attempting to guard themselves. Aside from the realistic fight however, is a very emotional drama which is sure to move anyone who pays attention to the film.

I had the pleasure of seeing Warrior at 2011 CinemaCon, walking in not knowing a thing about the movie, other than it was a movie about 'fighting.' And though a MMA movie (Mixed Martial Arts), not boxing, per se, for the genre, fighting, Warrior delivers a much better story than The Fighter, and is on par with Clint Eastwood's Oscar winner, Million Dollar Baby.

Expect a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nod in 2012 for Nick Nolte. And superstar status for Tom Hardy.

Warrior, though a work of fiction, plays out like a true story; two brothers at odds with each other and their father, in the town of Pittsburgh, who resort to prize fighting, one for the money, the other to prove himself a man.

Warrior fmovies. I had the pleasure of watching this movie last night. I went since its a "guy" movie my husband was the one excited about it more than I was. I must say I was more than impressed with the leading men in this film. It has been a long time since a movie has had me on the edge of my seat, biting my nails as this movie did during the fighting scenes. If you are looking for great acting, family drama, awesome fighting scenes than this is the movie for you. After we left the theater we couldn't stop talking about it. I will definitely go see it again when it comes out. We really enjoyed it! Nick Nolte was amazing, and even my husband I think cried in a few scenes, (last time that happened was during Marley and Me) so I must say this movie is a MUST SEE!

OK, Lets talk about the the big pink elephant in the room first. Yes, the movie has a similar storyline from movies of the past. And yes, it may be, to some, "just another fight movie. However, Warrior has the audacity to challenge the cliché's and still manages to stand out from the rest. Bottom line, Warrior is a well written and directed emotional roller coaster that will have you at the edge of your seat. With a star studded cast and top notch acting, the performances were solid and believable. Nick Nolte in particular did a fantastic job with his role and will have you nearly in tears. As the movie progresses you will be torn on what you would like to see happen for the climax of this entertaining thrill ride. Movies with this much emotional power connected to the characters only come around every once in a while. Go see this movie to finish off the summer or forever regret not supporting what is sure to be a classic!

Grab your popcorn, buy your soda..and get ready for a great movie.

From start to finish, this movie will have you hooked. There is no weak spot in this movie. The acting is amazing. The story is great. The music is catchy. You will get emotionally invested throughout this story.

This movie will make you FEEL something. This movie will ENTERTAIN you.

This film has great drama, action, and story. I walked out of the movie being so impressed, and in shock how this hadn't gotten more attention or done better at the box office.

This movie is a MUST SEE. And I'm pretty picky. Enjoy.