Boxing has recently been the theme of a number of different movies released in our cinemas over the last few years. Starting with "The Fighter" starring Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale, then more recently "The Warrior" starring Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton and the latest boxing movie which will be released in cinemas on 14th October, "Real Steel" starring Hugh Jackman and Evangeline Lilly, boxing has become a key theme for movies in 2011.
The most famous boxing movie franchise of all time is of course "Rocky". Starring the legendary Sylvester Stallone, the original "Rocky" movie was released in 1976 and made a massive $225 million at the box office. Turning Stallone into an overnight star, "Rocky" spurred five further sequels, the most recent of which, "Rocky Balboa" was released 30 years after the first movie in 2006. Surprisingly, for a fifth sequel, the movie received good responses from the critics earning a 75% score from the movie review website "Rotten Tomatoes".
"The Fighter" which tells the early story of "Irish" Mickey Ward before he became a professional boxer in the 1980s was an instant hit when released in December 2010. When Dickie, Mickey's half brother and star of the working class Massachusetts boxing scene, is beaten by Sugar Ray Leonard in a humiliating fight and sinks into drug addition, Mickey picks up his brother's mantel, pulling the family out of despair. Gaining a very high score of 90% score from "Rotten Tomatoes", the movie was nominated for 7 Academy Awards, winning two, Best Supporting Actor and Actress, as well as being nominated for 6 Golden Globes, making it one of the biggest movies of the year.
More recently "The Warrior" was released in cinemas at the beginning of September, depicting the stories of two brothers, Tommy Riordan, an ex-marine struggling with his past is trained by his ex-champion alcoholic father and Brendan, a public school teacher who has returned to the ring after running short of money. The brothers end up in the fight of a lifetime – against each other – bringing old betrayals to the fore forcing the brother to confront that which tore them apart. The movie has again received mostly positive reviews with critics talking about the strong emotions portrayed throughout the movie especially by actor Tom Hardy, with "Rotten Tomatoes" giving the film a score of 84%.
Looking forward the "Real Steel" trailer promises a movie with a twist on the classic boxing movie which audiences have seen in the last few years. Set in the year 2020, which 8 foot tall steel robots have replaced humans in the boxing ring, ex-professional boxer Charlie Kenton, played by Jackman, is a down and out boxing promoter fighting scrap metal robots in illegal back street fights. Teaming up with his estranged son Max (Dakota Goyo) the two find an old robot, which soon captures the heart of the boxing community.
"Real Steel" is released in UK cinemas on 14th October 2011.