Warrior is an action-drama
centered around Tommy (Hardy) and Brendan Conlon (Edgerton) who get into a mixed
martial art fighting tournament called Sparta.
The film is directed by Gavin O’Connor and stars Tom Hardy, Joel
Edgerton along with Academy Award nominee Nick Nolte, Frank Grillo and Jennifer
Morrison.
Pros :
A very overdone plot -where a
guy fights to save his family and the ones that he cares about - was very well
presented. The story wouldn’t have been
able to attract the crowds if it wasn’t handled well.
The story was well built and
had a perfect balance of drama and action as it slowly moved from the family
life to the tournament. The whole second half was full of nail biting fights in
the championship along with peoples’ reactions and expectations.
The writer gave proper
attention to the characters giving details of their backgrounds that ultimately
gives them the motive to be a part of the tournament.
A Russian fighter named Koba,
played by Kurt Angle, was introduced. He had never lost any fight and was
proposed to win the championship. As an audience you are anxious to know which
out of the two Tommy and Brendan is going to fight him and who will finally win the war? You
as a viewer don’t want to answer that, coz not only it is hard for you to
decide but also difficult for you to pick your favourite. The director had so
cleverly introduced the protagonists and narrated their stories that it is
simply impossible to choose.
The action director must be
praised for all the fight sequences as both the protagonists had their own way
of fighting which was completely different from the other.
The climax was unexpected and
appropriate. I really like endings that don’t have a montage at the end saying
‘…and they all lived happily ever after’. I like films that cut as soon as the conflict
is resolved.
The dialogues were carefully
written and placed to reduce the pressure on the viewers that is building
continuously. They will definitely bring a little smile on your face. You can
read a few of these here.
The movie was very well
directed, giving no space for any kind of loopholes or continuity errors. I was
waiting if there is an error in the movement when the camera switched to
different angles, but I couldn’t find any.
From my experience I can say
that the pre-production was really strong.
The director knew exactly what he wanted and hence even minute details
like stubble, random messages on the gym white board etc. were taken care of.
The art department did a nice
job taking care of the different looks of gyms, classrooms and of course that
of the tournament.
The cinematography had
something new. There was a very slow shift of focus from one subject to another
in various scenes, which I felt was nice. There were some POVs in the fight sequences
that looked brilliant. It appeared as if the hands came out of the camera and
hit the fighter.
The actors did full justice
to their roles, the efforts in bringing out the appropriate look was seen.
Cons:
I loved the movie completely.
I am not going to say anything here just for the heck of writing something.
The Verdict :
Tom Hardy already has movies
like Inception, Rocknrolla and awaited The Dark Knight rises in his credential
and Warrior is an addition in the same. The movie will definitely bring Joel Edgerton
to the limelight and we expect to see him in good projects in the future.
This is one of the best films
of 2011. It’s a Must watch for guys as
well as girls, and if you find no reason to watch it, just go for Tom Hardy.
The Scales :
Acting and Cast : 9/10
Script : 8.5/10
Direction : 9.5/10
Cinematography : 9/10
Editing : 9/10
OVERALL RATING : 9/10
My Experience :
I believe that it is these
kinds of films that make us like Hollywood so much.
I saw the film after an 8 ‘o
clock morning lecture on a Sunday after a Saturday night where hardly slept and
I wasn’t drowsy at all. I didn’t need coffee, cola or popcorn to pass the time. The movie held me right from the start till
the end.
There were several scenes
where I wanted to get from my seat and cheer for Tommy or Brendan. However, there
were moments in the movie where the audience got so involved that everyone
clapped and people started celebrating as if we were watching a live
match.
After watching Warrior, I am
even curious to watch The Dark Knight Rises. I am eager to see Bane (Hardy)
take over Batman (Bale).
