Warrior (2011)
Family is worth fighting for.
Tonight we get some different sort of action then the last week. Here, we go for a far more story-based drama-laden tale, where the action is almost just a side effect than the main course. Yes, I know I’m usually the first one to run away from a drama movie because I like to keep it nice, simple, and full of explosive fists and bombs - but sometimes it’s only right to treat people to a little storytelling you know? On that note, chain up your octagons, tonight we watch Warrior.
This movie is so thick with plot lines it could choke you. I’m serious, you think it’s just a movie about fights? Nah man, even the description blurb doesn’t really do it justice. You have the story of the one son, you have the story of the other son, you have this backstory with the dad and his relationship to the two sons, and then you have this fight that’s going to serve as the major finale of the movie. While we can say the one son is pretty straight forward, the other is peppered throughout with little story segments to build out who he is and what is going on, and by the end finally starts putting in the ring there’s enough of a chance for you to be emotionally backing each player that even if you don’t find the skill in the rumble you should more than feel the hits emotionally regardless. Not all movie fights can carry an emotional weight with them - much like not every kill in a horror movie pulls at anything deeper than annoyance. If you are looking for a real-world story that gives you plenty of chances to attach on to things, this will probably be the first movie in a very long time that I’ve done where I can say you might be the ones in the most winning situation.
Now, part of the drama angle really requires some good actors. Here, we have them pretty well decked out. The only real weak player you’ll find here is probably the side characters who aren’t the main focus anyways. When it comes to the main batch of characters you’ll find a good old time with people doing anything from good to great jobs. You may not like a given character, but I don’t feel a single thing in there to be unintentional on the movie’s part. Even when you don’t like a character, by the end I think you’ll find there to be plenty of moments in which that character will still have times to shine - and at least one for each character to really pop out with.
Line deliveries are pretty good, although some are a bit quiet. I wouldn’t say it’s the mix itself that’s bad, just that some lines are quiet. Being a drama, there’s an absolutely nuts amount of emotional acting and heart string pulling deliveries, as well as good use of emoting through body language and the likes to convey things. Quiet scenes and talkative ones both benefit form the actors, and even though some actors and characters get to shine more than others. I will admit, if you aren’t a big fan of drama and the relations between characters then you might find yourself a bit put out by it all - from a drama perspective it’s all well done, but at the same time if you aren’t getting attached to it all then the progression of the emotional plot might not ring home to really push the acting on display.
Daddy Paddy and one of the boys.
Normally I’d talk about effects work in here, but there isn’t a whole lot here. I mean sure, bruises, cuts and some swelling all come off looking realistic and at times painful but this isn’t the kind of movie to have explosions, firefights, and tons of blood. Costumes are normal, they look believable as they should for the setting and all of that sort of thing - but as usual it’s hard to be impressed despite it being well done because it’s just so normal. One of the biggest visual effects in the movie is simply a montage that uses some nice picture-in-picture action to be showing anywhere between one and four things going on at once. Believe it or not, there’s actually quite a bit of story telling done during this part as well, so it’s not like it’s just doing it for no reason at all.
Audio department does a good job as well. Yes, some lines are a little quiet, but it’s not so much that it’s unbalanced as much as just quiet lines being quiet. Punches, kicks, and other foley stuff sounds good. The background music does good, and at times really helps to amp up the emotional strings that are going on with things. The final segment in specific makes great use of the music to help sell the tension it already wants you to feel at that point. Yes, admittedly I’m not carrying the music out of the movie with me and humming or anything, but it still does a great job of servicing the movie.
When it comes down to it, the entire tournament at the end of the movie is probably the best part. This isn’t just because it’s where the fights are in their most frequent occurrence, although does help a little, but largely because this is the major point that all the emotional attachments and goals the movie has been setting you up for comes to a head and starts fighting it out on screen. Yes, the fights aren’t incredibly impressive choreography in the same since you might think of a martial arts movie straight from China or hits as brutal as something you’d expect out of Indonesia, but the weight of the stuff riding on each blow and move takes it from just a “cool action scene” to a very tense one that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It’s incredibly well done, and by the time it’s done you’ll feel a bit of relief.
The fanciest shot in the movie.
Should you check this out? If you like drama flicks totally! I mean, if your the kind of person that doesn’t really care for drama and emotional stories, much preferring the bombastic 80’s action with plenty of body count and explosions then this won’t be straight up your alley. The acting is good, the story facilitates a lot of emotional pulls and thread through-fare. The thing is well put together, both visually and audibly, and for anyone that’s looking for that somewhat deeper flick it’s actually probably a great choice.