A sequel to The Fighter? It's an amazing story if it's true!

File this under "hmm, that sounds cool"!  A sequel to The Fighter?  Yeah, really.  Mark Wahlberg discussed the possibility with the TV show, Extra.  Only if there's a good story to tell right?  Well there is!

Here is the short quote from Wahlberg:

Now we’re gonna talk about doing No. 2. We’re gonna do the Ward /Gatti trilogy and make it real.

/slashfilm did some research.  They outlined a trilogy of fights between The Fighter's main character, Micky Ward and Arturo Gatti.  In 2002, the boxers fought twice, each man winning a fight.  They were apparently amazing fights.  One of the two fights was considered "Fight of the Year" by Ring Magazine.

The third and final match up came in 2003, and apparently it was epic!  It went to the end.  At one point Gatti breaks his hand in two spots and must finish the fight with only one hand.  Again the match up was considered "Fight of the Year".  They really is a story to tell here, and hopefully it is made.

The only thing left to ponder is who would return for the sequel?  Christian Bale?  Melissa Leo?  Director, David O. Russell?  It will be interesting to see.  You all know I loved the film.  I hoped for the actors to get recognized during Oscar night, and they were!  So hopefully this sequel is made, we'll see!

"The Fighter" Review. Brilliant.

It's awards season. Its the time when all the Oscar contenders come to the forefront for all to see. There are always 4 or 5 movies that get a lot of attention before the awards. One of those movies is The Fighter.

In a rare case where the trailer actually WAS an indicator of the movie, I looked forward to this one for a few months now. I have a lot to say so I'm going to jump right into my review. I'll go over a few things I like and what little I didn't like about the movie.

What I liked about the movie:
The Cast
From the first scene, you will see the brilliant performances turned in for the movie. Let's start right away with a bold prediction. Christian Bale WILL receive AT LEAST an Oscar nomination for this movie. Bale plays Dicky Eklund, a washed up former boxer who now resorts to crack to feel better. He is the older brother of Mark Wahlberg's character, "Irish" Micky Ward.

Bale turns in the kind of performance where an actor gets lost in the character. He accurately depicts the way addiction to crack, can mentally and physically break you down. Bale lost a lot of weight for the film, much like his role in The Machinist. The way he couldn't sit still or hold a thought was amazing. He's living in the past. Using his past accomplishments as a mediocre boxer to earn respect among his friends in his tiny neighborhood of Lowell, Massachusetts. He was truly lost in the character. A brilliant performance I feel lucky to have seen!

Mark Wahlberg did very well in the film. His performance will be overshadowed by Bale though (interesting because Heath Ledger's turn as The Joker overshadowed Bale's wonderful performance in The Dark Knight). Wahlberg had a difficult task of physically being prepared, and emotionally he had to bring his A-game. There are several scenes where Wahlberg doesn't speak at all, yet he conveys how confused and misguided he is. Great job!

Then there's Amy Adams, who plays Wahlberg's girlfriend. She played an emotionally destroyed young woman who is trying to reinvent herself. She's a college drop out that made nothing of her track and field career. She bar tends to pay the rent and has no aspirations for more. She plays a tough girl who stands up to Wahlberg's family after they give her crap for helping to change his mind about something important. Great performance from the fiery red head which is sure to land her her third Oscar nomination.

The rest of the family is played by people you know you've seen, but don't know their names. Wahlberg's sisters and parents round out the supporting cast which makes for some great laughs during the movie. The movie is really funny during arguments amongst the family members. This was a great break from the serious drama.

The Director

I never thought I'd say this, but David O. Russell did an outstanding job of directing this film. I did enjoy his previous film co-starring Wahlberg though, Three Kings. Personally I didn't like any of the rest of his films. It's ok, he's planning to re-team with Wahlberg for a third time in the video game adaptation, Uncharted.

Russell did everything well in this film. His choice of setting, actors, costume, lighting, etc. All of it made for one of the most realistic feelings I ever got from watching a movie. Most of the film takes place in the early 1990's and everything is reflective of that. All the way down to Wahlberg's hideous shirts. The script was great, it was written by Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson. But the story came to life and separated itself from other sports-themed movies because of Russell.

The Story
I usually list this as my first "like" when I review a movie I enjoyed. This time, it gets third. The story is amazing, a true "underdog" becoming something more. Other than Russell, what separated the film from other boxing movies, or sports-themed movies in general was, it's about the family. It's about the people involved. The boxing is a metaphor for the struggle. The family sticking together is what makes the prize worth winning. One thing that the Rocky franchise gets a lot of credit for was the fact that it focused on the man, not the sport. The Fighter is no exception, it made us care about the people before it made us care about the sport.


What I didn't like about the movie:
The Length
You're probably going to think I wanted less right? That it was too long right? Nope, it wasn't long ENOUGH! It comes in right at 2 hours, and I'm telling you guys, it's not long enough. There's more to it, which is this... the movie is a low-budget film, maybe there wasn't any money left, maybe they didn't fill out the script, I don't know. But there are a couple of scenes that were rushed just to tie up some loose ends. I didn't enjoy that. I wish more time would have been dedicated to the training of the last fight, or even the way Wahlberg and his mother worked out their issues. Again, things I would have loved more of.

The Fighter is truly one of the best sport-themed films I have ever seen. The story of brothers. The story of the underdog. The story of a small town community. Family squabble, drug abuse, the media and its affect on America, money and its affect on people... the list goes on and on. All in 2 hours mind you. I've been wanting to see this movie for a few months, and now that I have, I want to see it again. I will root for it during awards season and hope that Bale wins his first of several Academy Awards. Thumbs up Russell for making a hater of your work, love you.

"Uncharted" Movie with Wahlberg, De Niro and Pesci?

We all know directors like working with actors they've worked with before; so a new rumor about the Uncharted movie comes at no surprise. Mark Wahlberg as Drake? Pretty cool casting huh? But again, not a huge surprise. What WILL surprise you is the following.

There was a crazy rumor online that Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci were also set to star in the film. I don't know much about the game, but I'm assuming as a father or uncle or whatnot. That rumor died really quickly. BUT! Wahlberg revived it when he was asked about taking on the role of Drake, and here's what he said:

That’s who he wants to write the parts for. I talked to Pesci about it and I know David’s people have talked to [Robert De Niro]… I’m obviously in whatever David wants to do it but the idea of it is so off the charts: De Niro being my father, Pesci being my uncle. It’s not going to be the watered-down version, that’s for sure.

Whoa, the rumors were true? Or they weren't? I don't know what to think anymore. Still sounds pretty interested. David O. Russell is getting a lot of attention for the Wahlberg and Christian Bale starring The Fighter. The movie is getting some pretty amazing reviews, and will surely be a favorite come Oscar season. So what do you think about Wahlberg, DeNiro and Pesci in a video game adaptation?

"The Fighter" Trailer

The trailer is here. The stars are great actors. The director has an interesting resume. The story is that of an underdog. What the hell else can we ask for? A good movie, I suppose.

The movie now stars Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale. Here's what Bale had to say about the film: "It’s a true story of two incredibly gifted boxers who were half brothers. The one, Dicky Ecklund, who fought Sugar Ray Leonard at a very young age, when he was twenty-one, was an incredible natural talent. He lived a very hard life. Then he came to train his brother, Irish Mickey Ward, to the world title."

The movie has had an amazing journey to the theater, much like the story of it's underdog. A different director was attached, then dropped (Darren Aronofsky), cast members dropped out (Matt Damon and Brad Pitt), and no one in Hollywood would touch it afterward.

The movie looks amazing! Hopefully the trailer is a good indicator of the film's final look. Some online buzz has already started about Oscars for the leading cast. Can't wait to see this film!

Below is the trailer to the highly anticipated, several times delayed, The Fighter. Enjoy