Warrior Reviews

I love movies of all kinds regardless of their age. 2011 so far has been a very hit-and-miss year, luckily alongside Drive and The Tree of Life(though both won't appeal to all) Warrior is among my favourites of this year.

Warrior is a well made and directed movie, with lighting that consistently fits with the mood and cinematography that is skillful and intelligently used. The dialogue was thought-provoking and written with vigour and heart, the fight scenes are incredible feeling both authentic(you can smell the sweat and feel the tears) and harrowing and the story for me was absorbing and hit me hard emotionally.

The characters are fully credible too, and the wonderful performances help. Tom Hardy is outstanding in one of his best performances to date, and Joel Edgarton is every bit his equal, but Nick Nolte is a sheer delight and comes close to stealing the film on several occasions. The climax was very exciting, and while the film's end is rather inconclusive, everything else is so good you don't care so much.

In conclusion, fantastic film and one of the best of the year. 10/10 Bethany Cox

It’s not the punches and kicks that weigh so hard upon us in Warrior, it’s being stuck in a lose-lose situation in which you’re rooting for both of the characters to succeed and to win the fight, and praying that some outcome will allow for that to happen. Sure, Warrior leans heavily upon cliché characters tropes and story beats, but it also manages to expand beyond those basic sketches and create a real investment in what happens to these people. Sports films are hard, either you’re indentured to make a victory feel loaded with symbolic weight, or give us a rooting everyman who is really but a blank cipher that allows us to live out our wildest fantasies of rising to a challenge and succeeding beyond belief, but very rarely do they extend beyond these faint ideals to impart real tension and a sense of something at stake here.

Which is Warrior is so damn satisfying. It cloaks the sports drama behind an emotionally gripping story of two estranged brothers trying to make peace with each other and their recovering alcoholic father. The story leans harder on its themes of redemption, making peace with the past, reconciliation and forgiveness than it does on montages of training or spending long periods of time in the ring. We want both of these brothers, who rise up from dark horse candidates to eventually having to fight each other for the title, to win, to find some kind of inner peace and access to a better tomorrow. It doesn’t really matter which one wins out in the end, what matters more is that they manage to work out their issues and come together. That’s what makes the closing shot so satisfying.

But a script can only go so far into making us care about these characters, they still need to be brought to life and made real. And Warrior’s three leading roles are expertly played by Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, and Nick Nolte. Nolte seems to excel in these kind of roles: damaged men trying valiantly to regain their footing, or crushed with guilt and tortured by their past. Nolte’s alcoholic father begging for a second chance sounds like a villainous role, but the film extends a sympathetic viewpoint towards him as it shows his guilt weighing heavily upon his soul and desperate to try and make things right. Hardy and Edgerton are equally compelling and evenly matched as the brothers. Edgerton is a particularly underrated actor. He’s one of the few bright spots in The Great Gatsby, solid in Animal Kingdom, and brings tremendous amount of emotional weight to his small role in Zero Dark Thirty. It’s nice to see him get a main role here and demonstrate his full talents. Hardy is an actor I’ve long been a fan of, he’s a standout in the solid ensemble of Inception, menacing in The Dark Knight Rises, and a confused agent in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, all performances that I’ve enjoyed. Here he does his best variation on Brando in On the Waterfront and finds the vulnerability in this man. His relationship between him and his father is one of more fascinating and slowly evolving aspects of the film.

Before it was released, there was some pretty good buzz about it but it didn't fair so well eventually. Still, it quickly reached a cult status and even reached the Imdb top 250 so I was really curious to see if it was that good. To be honest, I think it is kind of overrated. Indeed, it basically follows the good old formula of the usual underdog who gets his shot at the title. I mean, 'Rocky' was released already 40 years but I can't believe they are still chewing on this old story. Still, it doesn't mean this movie wasn't any good. Indeed, they added a little twist which was not to have one main character, but two main characters which happen to be brothers and, of course, who will end up fighting each other during the final showdown. Since you are rooting for both guys, who should win eventually? To be honest, I figured out pretty easily which brother would eventually win which was rather disappointing (One of the brothers seemed obviously weaker and was fighting for his own family so he was a more likely candidate). Another strong aspect was the acting by the three main actors (Joel Edgerton, Tom Hardy, Nick Nolte) which was much better than what you usually get in those kind of movies. Concerning the fighting, it all depends if you are into this MMA stuff. If it's your thing, you will be delighted. If you are not (like me), it was rather distressing to see two grown-ups completely beating the sh*t at each other even when someone is on the ground and obviously had enough. To conclude, I don't think it is that amazing but it remains a solid sport feature and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

very conventional movie, a bad regenerated alcoholic father, a brother former Iraqi soldier who fights furiously on behalf of fellow fallen in combat and another brother who fights to pay the mortgage on your home and your family peace of mind. ¿?, Why I saw this movie? I thought about the high rating votes on IMBD i find a different film to the common, but do not expect anything new, rocky 1 .. 5, Van Damme and others similar are their sources. remarked the good performances of Nolte, Brady and Edgerton. Shame on the writer-director who could have done something to remember but perhaps preferred the business side and they got it. about mixed martial arts is not a film representing them but street fights where the most furious and / or the heart that beats no intelligence or training.

Many times, particularly in this generation, we have seen films that focus on sportspersons (fictional and real) in their professional and personal lives, which is exactly what was initially expected of Warrior. However, because it involves something rather different sport – mixed martial arts (aka cage-fighting), it became interesting of how different Warrior was going to be in comparison to previous recent films of that type. Nonetheless, Warrior does suffer from repetition due to the message and the style of filming but it also added something else to the table, so to speak, and became a very enjoyable sports film that is definitely worth a watch.


Throughout most recent years, we see the same old sport-dramas which are usually underdog stories that add inspiration and courage, which usually catches the audience’s attention. However, with Warrior, it still worked but the main problems that it faces is that it lacked that emotional and realistic atmosphere that we have seen before. It is not necessarily the fault of any of the crew or cast members. Times are changing and the theme of where Warrior was introduced is slowly fading away due to repetition. What David O'Russell did with The Fighter and Ron Howard with Cinderella Man were truly remarkable and Gavin O'Connor deserves credit for his work at his attempt at providing us something different. Although, he did manage to transform Warrior into a very physical film, regarding in the ring, story-wise and other areas of direction were not anything major. O'Connor could have given us a huge disappointment but he didn’t and Warrior is a solid enough attempt at a slowly fading theme of genre.


Right before we experience Tom Hardy as the ruthless Bane in The Dark Knight Rises, he provided us with a glimpse at what to expect as he portrayed former marine Tommy Conlon. Although Hardy's performance was a long shot from an Academy Award nomination, he still gave a solid performance. Upon knowing that Hardy was the central figure of the film, he became that immediate underdog protagonist. However, what was surprising was that Joel Edgerton who portrayed Hardy's on-screen brother became a main character like Tommy on an equal level. This caused minor confusion as there was no initial protagonist and, therefore, the film did not express who is more important and who the audience should be focusing more on. Like Hardy, Edgerton's performance was decent enough and wasn't worthy of an Oscar nomination but both actors collaborated together well similarly to Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg in The Fighter.


Furthermore in the cast, Nick Nolte portrayed recovering alcoholic Paddy Conlon in an outstanding Oscar-nominated performance. Nolte, being a former alcoholic himself, perfectly mixes into the nature of the character and following his past experience, Nolte was almost portraying himself in Warrior. This is where his performance relates to Mickey Rourke's memorable role in The Wrestler. If there is anything that Nolte's performance shows, it is that if there is a character that faced a traumatic past or faced troubles in parts of life and any actor who had experienced that would make an on-screen character become reality. Nevertheless, Nolte gave a fantastic performance and deserved his Academy Award nomination.


Overall, Warrior is an enjoyable sports drama that does suffer from its one or two flaws but is still worth checking out. There is not all that much to expect from it apart from a different type of sport has been chosen within a dialogue and story background that we have seen countless times over the years. Warrior is far from being one of the best sports films and is even further away from one of the worst, but with the cast and the crew making it at least satisfactory and worthwhile, it is a solid effort.

Tommy Riordin (Tom Hardy) returns home, seemingly unannounced, and he begins to train at a local gym. After sparring with local talent Mad Dog Grimes, and easily defeating him, the video goes viral and Tommy becomes the talk of not only the town but people everywhere. Tommy must deal with the past, including his alcoholic father and a military service that ended in a way Tommy would rather forget. At the same time his brother Brendan Conlin (Joel Edgerton) faces bankruptcy and foreclosure on the house he shares with wife Tess (Jennifer Morrison) and his two daughters. Brendan decides, much to the dismay of Tess that getting back into fighting may be the way in which he can make up the money his family needs. The two brothers find themselves in the Sparta tournament, where 16 men fight, one vs one, until only one man is left standing and can be called the best fighter in America.

Well structured, Warrior finds itself making it all about the struggles of the two main characters, way before you see them in the ring. Tommy has pills in his hand, struggling to ease the pain of a past he would rather forget, and Brendan is talking to a bank manager who tells him that he has less than three months to find the money or his house will be taken. Brendan gets even more bad news, when he is suspended from his high school teaching duties for being apart of a fight card. Both men are forced into the ring, one to vent aggression and the other to try and provide for the only people he cares about. Both men look to be incredible shape, Hardy and Edgerton packed on the muscle and definitely spent time training for Warrior. Not only are they both at peak physical condition, but they are both at the top of their game as far as acting goes as well.

Warrior is more about them as humans then it is about them beating the hell out of people in the ring. Tommy is a ruthless animal in the cage, knocking out every opponent in less than one round, where Brendan is smart and tactical waiting for the right opportunity to strike and make his presence known. Both men have been unable to forgive their alcoholic father (Nick Nolte) for the way in which their family was always divided. Tommys past is much more secretive then that of his brothers. Brendan fell in love with Tess and made a life for himself, where Tommy always struggled to do that, even when he joined the Marines.

What Warrior does so well, is it mixes the heart of a fighting champion, with the heart of two real-life people who have suffered through painful experience. The pain they feel in the ring is just the beginning, the pain the feel within is much deeper and more crippling than any injury sustained while fighting in the ring. They both have nothing more to lose, Brendan will lose the house if he doesn't win, and Tommy will lose his chance to help out someone who lost everything.

Tommy does happen to be the better written of the two brothers, simply because some of his past is left to be realized as the film progresses. With Brendan, all the cards are one the table, he was fighting for Tess and his daughters more than for himself. With Tommy, he was made out to be a selfish, take no sh*t kind of guy. Later on, we the audience realize he went through a traumatic experience, when he was the only person of his Squad to survive a friendly fire incident. It is at this time we learn Tommy is trying to distance himself from his days in the Marines so he does not have to deal with the fact he deserted.

When the film is not slowing down (with what could be called near perfection) it is a fast paced, relentless in your face fight movie, with scenes that look like they came straight from the latest UFC fight card. The fight scenes are incredible, as are the in between rounds scenes, where Brendan is in the corner talking to his trainer and trying to keep his composure through some physically gruelling fights.

As the two brothers start to head down a path that leads to both of them in the final, they are forced to deal with the pains of the past, both choosing to do so in different ways. Warrior is a film that is a bit predictable, but it is the only in which the story could be told so elegantly without compromising the integrity of the characters.

One of the best pictures to capture the realism of the sport on display, while still capturing heart wrenching performances from the main actors. Warrior is a solid movie, full of heart and soul. You will be cheering for both of the brothers, even though you know in MMA there can only be one winner.

as far as fighting movies go this is about as good as it gets - great story written with real feeling and emotion and lots of awesome fighting well worth it.

Just like The Fighter I wasn't too thrilled about seeing this movie. I ended up loving The Fighter and, I ended up loving this movie too. Yes this movie is clichéd but, in this case it uses those clichés in such a way where I didn't really mind them, I still cared about all the characters especially Joel Edgerton's character whose the typical "guy down on his luck" type of person. The acting here is powerful but, the three who stick out the most are Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, and Nick Nolte. These three give such powerful and believable performances, I will be so shocked if not one of them are nominated for an Oscar. The movie does start off slow, but it picks up really fast and once it does those two hours and twenty minutes will feel like thirty minutes which is a shame because I didn't want this movie to end. The score for this movie is great, whoever was the composer for this film kudos to them because the music really adds depth to the scenes. This whole movie was terrifically shot especially the fighting scenes, which is a bit shaky but, I understand why the director went for that sort of approach, it works well here. The action here is violent but gripping. Every time one guy threw a punch to the other or kick or slammed the guy into the ground, it's so well shot and edited that I felt their pain, and the vibrations of the sound whenever someone slammed someone else onto the floor sent chills up my spine. I am not a fan of this sport so I knew nothing about it going into this movie and thanks to this movie I learned a few things about it. The script was great, I sometimes couldn't understand what Tom hardy was saying though. The characters are great and I cared about them. The problem was though when the final battle took place I didn't know who to root for? You have the war hero brother who wants the win so he can give the money to his friend who was like a brother to him who died in combat, to his wife, and then you have the other brother who has to win or else his home will be foreclosed because he hasn't been paying his mortgage due to the fact that his daughter had heart problems and they had to worry about her medical bills. To me is was hard but I'm sure most of you will root for the brother who has to win to keep his house. This movie also has lots of heart, and I'm sure for those of you who haven't seen it, it will capture your heart as it did mine even if you're not into this sport or sports movies like me. I mean hell I even cried during some parts in the last 30 minutes. Don't set your expectations extremely high though. mine weren't that high when I went in which is probably why I loved this movie and this is pretty much one of my favorite movies of 2011.