It's a cast of champs in this drama with comic elements about prize fighting, involving an ex-con James Woods who ends up managing veteran prize fighter Louis Gossett Jr. And bets that he can take on 10 of the top fighters from Diggstown. Of course when you have got great actors like Woods, Gossett and Bruce Dern involved, you've find me an embarrassment of riches, but the problem is that the script has so much going on there's not enough time for real character development outside of the three main veteran actors, and the screenwriters idea of comedy is having one of the competitors dealing with flatulence while in the ring with Gossett. Oliver Platt and Heather Graham co-star, with Orestes Matacena having an important minor role as a mobster threatening Woods over the investment he made on Gossett's side.
It's all based on a bet that ex-cons Woods and Dern make, and neither character is exactly someone of decent character, making Gossett a victim of their sordid plans. The film deals with some major racial issues, having Gossett going from dancing around the ring to knocking out his opponent when called a racial slur. Dern is the manager of the competitors, and at one point he's seen talking to one of his black boxers with a noose around their neck. Quite disturbing, especially with how things turn out. For Gossett expected to be able to take on ten professional prizefighters in a certain period of time doesn't seem realistic. Non-boxing fans will probably not be all that interested, and it lacks the depth of other films about a sport whose purpose I've never gotten outside of the sick public desire for carnage. I'll stick with the classics like "Champiom", "The Set-Up" and of course "Rocky".
It's all based on a bet that ex-cons Woods and Dern make, and neither character is exactly someone of decent character, making Gossett a victim of their sordid plans. The film deals with some major racial issues, having Gossett going from dancing around the ring to knocking out his opponent when called a racial slur. Dern is the manager of the competitors, and at one point he's seen talking to one of his black boxers with a noose around their neck. Quite disturbing, especially with how things turn out. For Gossett expected to be able to take on ten professional prizefighters in a certain period of time doesn't seem realistic. Non-boxing fans will probably not be all that interested, and it lacks the depth of other films about a sport whose purpose I've never gotten outside of the sick public desire for carnage. I'll stick with the classics like "Champiom", "The Set-Up" and of course "Rocky".