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      Phantom Punch

      R 2008 1h 44m Drama Biography List
      Reviews 43% 100+ Ratings Audience Score Ex-convict Sonny Liston (Ving Rhames) becomes the world heavyweight boxing champion in 1962, but his personal life is marred by run-ins with organized crime and the law. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered Jul 18 Buy Now

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      Audience Reviews

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      R B This was a really well put together production and an interesting story. A good performance from Ving Rhames and others. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/25/23 Full Review gerald h way too cheap. laughable sex scene. 60 year old rhames plays 25 year old listen. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member This movie...well not so good. Ving Rhames is great as usual. Problem is he may be a tad old for the role, plus he didn't have much to work with here. A lot of what we know about Sonny was historically inaccurate or missing. No harassment from Ali(a young Cassius Clay) before, or after the Patterson rematch. Ali (Clay) made Liston's life hell for over a year before their first fight. No scene detailing Sonny slapping Ali's face in a casino. Not even a mention of his first fight against Marty Marshall. Liston suffered a broken jaw in the fourth round before losing a close 8-round decision. But you wouldn't know it from this film.Just pass on this film. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Audience Member The movie has good intentions but comes up short Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review norbert d Sonny Liston was a guy who rarely caught a break in life, death and now in this uneven and mainly mediocre biopic. And like that life, this mediocrity is a tragedy for what it could have been, because Liston's was a more fascinating story than many of the other boxing champions about whom great movies were made. This low quality is nothing to do with the acting especially, Ving Rhames who nails the part of Sonny, getting wellthe puzzling mix the real man had of gangster and softie. I suspect the problem lay in low budget that led to oversimplifying important passages in Liston's life. Nowhjere is this so evident as the back story of his suspicious death which is turned into mainly a simple act of jealousy. The malfeasance of the police investigation of the Bear's death is likewise compressed into a few closing minutes with flashed subtitles used instead of drama to convey what might have been going on. Likewise there is no exposition of the phantom punch" (in the rematch with Ali in 1965) which for reasons unclear the film-makers chose to use as a title. If you want a much shorter but thought-provoking experience learning about this tragic figure, have a listen to Mark Knopfler's ballad about him and save your time watching this disappointment. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Interesting, well acted but something was missing. The mobsters were funny not nasty, the women seemed to just be Hollywood add ons. But worth seeing. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Phantom Punch

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      Critics Reviews

      View All (1) Critics Reviews
      Andrew L. Urban Urban Cinefile Phantom Punch delivers some knock out scenes outside the ring as well as within it. Apr 2, 2009 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Ex-convict Sonny Liston (Ving Rhames) becomes the world heavyweight boxing champion in 1962, but his personal life is marred by run-ins with organized crime and the law.
      Director
      Robert Townsend
      Producer
      Simon DeKaric, Byron A. Martin, Pazz Neglia, Wayne Thompson
      Screenwriter
      Ryan Combs
      Production Co
      Access Films, MP Productions
      Rating
      R (Some Violence|Pervasive Language|Sexual Content|Sexual Assault)
      Genre
      Drama, Biography
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Jul 16, 2016
      Runtime
      1h 44m
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