Fitness Film Review - Warrior
It isn't often you'll come across a combat sport movie that's able to convey the right balance of drama and action. However, Warrior is one of those movies. When fights are justified with back stories full of crushing emotion, they become all the more intense and gratifying. Perfect for watching before hitting the gym, this film never fails to keep you motivated.
Warrior opens our eyes to the world of mixed martial arts. Where punches, kicks, holds, and everything else goes. New international tournament "Sparta" puts Paddy (Nick Nolte), Brendan (Joel Edgerton), and Tom Conlon (Tom Hardy) on a collision course that cannot end well. All are a part of an estranged family tortured by a past filled with abuse, favouritism, and abandonment. Tom while trying to make it society, enlists the help of his formerly alcoholic father Paddy to train him for the tournament. While at the same time Brendan goes back to his UFC training, with the hope to win the $5 million purse to help support his struggling family. The two underdogs face off with some of the toughest MMA fighters, but the real struggle these two face is the one they find within themselves. Paddy fights for forgiveness against his resenting sons, Tom fights to prove his strength to himself, and Brendan fights to come to terms with his past family while trying to support the new one he has made.
Warrior is a sports films with a brilliant blend of emotional and physical battle. It's a wonderful story that exhibits how sometimes the world's strongest forces are nothing compared to the troubles of a broken family. Warrior is without a doubt worth the watch, as one of the best films of 2011. Whether you're an MMA fan or not, these adrenaline pumped fights will definitely have you up and cheering.
