Warrior (2011)

Title: Warrior

Year: 2011

Director: Gavin O'Connor

Synopsis: The youngest son of an alcoholic former boxer returns home, where he's trained by his father for competition in a mixed martial arts tournament - a path that puts the fighter on a collision corner with his older brother.

IMDb Page

Official trailer



STEPH SAID

Rating:

Review:

I thought this movie was going to be five stars for sure. 

Warrior is a deep, thrilling, intense story that will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginningto end. The movie is a constant climax, a constant rush of adrenaline; you don't get ups and downs, you don't get moments to recover and take a breath. I was literally whispering "omygoshomygoshomygosh" like a mantra while trying to find something to do with my hands because I couldn't just rest them peacefully on my knees or at my side. 

This is a lot to say considering the movie is completely expected. It is a story of two brothers that enter a championship and have to battle each other for the title. Thus, it is obvious they will fight each other at the final, which means both had to win all their previous fights. Nevertheless, the movie was so engaging that even though I knew this, I was still suffering every second of every fight, hoping the Conlon brother would win. The ending was as heartbreaking as the previous scenes had been thrilling. It was dramatic and yet utterly realistic, which it’s why is so sad. I just wish I could have heard what people were saying, especially the Conlon brothers.

Every actor did an excellent job, they were all magnificent. However, Tom Hardy, who plays Tommy, impressed me the most. He was intense, dark and scary. He lived this role. His accent, his mannerisms, even the way he walks; it was all perfect. 

I didn't give Warrior five stars because it doesn't resolve the stories within it. The movie started to tell many stories and stopped halfway. At the end, viewers don't get a sense of closure and are left with many questions. What happened with the Conlon brothers? Did they forgive their dad? What happened in Tommy's trial? What happened to Pilar and her kids? What happened at the review of Brendan's case? Did he went back to teaching, fighting, neither or both? What happened to Pop? Did he went back to AA and the church, or did he become a drunk again?

Watching Warrior was definitely a wondrous experience. I would have given it five stars without hesitating if not for the aforementioned reason. It is a pity, really. The ending could have been an epilogue consisting of a collection of mini-clips that show what is going on in everybody's life. It could've taken about five minutes and would've made the movie perfect. If this movie had had a proper ending it would have definitely become one of my favorite movies of all time.