The Fighter

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2:24

The Fighter

R

2010

1h 56m

Drama

Biography

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

253 Reviews

89%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

For Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg), boxing is a family affair. His tough-as-nails mother is his manager. His half-brother, Dicky (Christian Bale), once a promising boxer himself, is his very unreliable trainer. Despite Micky's hard work, he is losing and, when the latest fight nearly kills him, he follows his girlfriend's advice and splits from the family. Then Micky becomes a contender for the world title and he -- and his family -- earns a shot at redemption.

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Critics Consensus

Led by a trio of captivating performances from Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, and Amy Adams, The Fighter is a solidly entertaining, albeit predictable, entry in the boxing drama genre.

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Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

09/09/2017

A

Overall The Fighter is a touching, soulful knockout of a movie.

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Philip French

Guardian

02/07/2011

Both Wahlberg and Bale are excellent in their different registers, as are Melissa Leo and Amy Adams as the differently calibrated women.

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David Sexton

London Evening Standard

02/04/2011

4/5

Wahlberg, always so physically solid, is deep inside himself in this role.

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Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

10/13/2024

4/5

While at its core, The Fighter does become a predictable boxing comeback film building to that Hollywood ending, the performances and acting clinic in action are worth your attention and audience.

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Danilo Castro

Next Best Picture

07/11/2024

8/10

Bale, Leo, and Adams are exceptional, and Russell’s ability to imbue a conventional underdog premise with his high-strung eccentricities gives the film a unique texture.

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

08/19/2023

The film falls somewhere between bare-knuckle and blue collar, brought to the screen with that docu-style handheld-camera that indie filmmakers so love to use for bracing reality, and Irish family melodrama...

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To F

@Frannko Nov 3

No se si así peleaba en la vida real pero se ve a un Micky Ward muy lento, y es que es lo único malo que le veo a esta película, las peleas pudieron ser mejor desarrolladas o sincronizadas. Lo único bueno es la historia y lo que conlleva.

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David G.

@greenhalgh100 Oct 23

Top 5 sports movie of all time in my book.

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Jerod S

@jeroduptown Sep 9

What makes this boxing movie work isn't a unique story but such a solid casting that you can't help but enjoy the bouts in the ring and in the family.

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Sergio N.

@Sergio29 Jul 15

I love Boxing and this movie helped me love it more

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Jul 7

Based on a true story in 1 hour and 56 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated R for Language Throughout, Drug Content, Sexuality and Some Violence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $93,600,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Mate P

@matepolcz Jul 6

The Fighter is not as compelling as I wanted it to be. It takes a while to get going and it did not lock my eyes on the screen for more than a few scenes. So all in all it's just not as compelling as I expected it to be. Maybe my expectations were too high or the watching experience wasn't good. On the other hand I found the dialogues very well-written, it might sound odd, but a lot of them are funny. The cinematography and the editing are really great. The structure and the pacing is good, but somehow it's just not compelling. Maybe it's because of David O. Russel's directing, because he brought in actors outside of his usual group. For example I didn't enjoy Mark Wahlberg's performance. On the other hand the G.O.A.T. was as amazing as usual, while Amy Adams and Melissa Leo brought in the surprising elements of fun and awkwardness. The Fighter might have been a better experience if I set my expectations lower, but after watching American Hustle, I did not.

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David O. Russell

Director

Mark Wahlberg

Micky Ward

Christian Bale

Dicky Eklund

Amy Adams

Charlene Fleming

Melissa Leo

Alice Ward

Jack McGee

George Ward

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The Fighter: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

For Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg), boxing is a family affair. His tough-as-nails mother is his manager. His half-brother, Dicky (Christian Bale), once a promising boxer himself, is his very unreliable trainer. Despite Micky's hard work, he is losing and, when the latest fight nearly kills him, he follows his girlfriend's advice and splits from the family. Then Micky becomes a contender for the world title and he -- and his family -- earns a shot at redemption.

Director: David O. Russell
Producer: David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman, Ryan Kavanaugh, Mark Wahlberg, Dorothy Aufiero, Paul Tamasy
Screenwriter: Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Mandeville Films, Closest to the Hole, Relativity
Rating: R (Language Throughout|Drug Content|Sexuality|Some Violence)
Genre: Drama, Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 17, 2010, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $93.6M
Runtime: 1h 56m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital, DTS

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