Warrior (2011)

Before I start reviewing the film I’d like to get the obvious question out of the way. That question being, is it similar to The Fighter? The answer is yes. The next obvious question would be; is Warrior a better film? We would have to say, yes it is.

Gavin O’Connor’s Warrior manages to balance really tense action with a fractured family drama. It also features one of the best performances from a British actor this year; that of Tom Hardy.
After 14 years, ex-marine Tommy (Tom Hardy) returns to Pittsburgh to prepare for the world’s biggest mixed martial arts tournament, reconnecting with his father, Paddy (Nick Nolte), who will train him. Meanwhile, his estranged brother Brendan (Joel Edgerton), a former fighter himself, must return to the ring if he has any chance of saving his family’s home.

For those who don’t know what MMA is, it’s a type of fighting style that mixes all different types of Martial Arts. A fight can end in a typical TKO or the contestants can grapple each other and force a tap out (when the fighter gives up) This proves to be a blessing for O’Connor because the fight scenes are so much more intense than most boxing films and offers a lot more variety.

Warrior does a great job of showcasing its two up and coming stars, Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton. Hardy’s physique is astonishing, easily in the best shape of his life. He gives Tommy a very sinister edge, making him a tough character for the audience to cheer for; his past is clouded in mystery and he seems to hate everything that breathes, especially his father and brother.

Edgerton’s character, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. He’s a nice guy and adored schoolteacher, whose only priority is his wife and kids. Thankfully, both Hardy and Edgerton have the acting talents to pull these characters off. Tom Hardy can do no wrong at the moment. He stole the show in last year’s biggest film Inception (2010) and he’s threatening to do the same again with next year’s Dark Knight Rises (2012). In Warrior he is simply fantastic. If Warrior were released earlier in the year then Hardy would have got an Oscar nomination, he is that good.

When the brothers finally meet in the ring it hardly comes as a surprise but it’s still unquestionably one of the tensest cinema moments you’ll see this year. It’s genuinely tough to predict which brother will come out triumphant. The rest of the action scenes are just as terrific, with Hardy and Edgerton mixing it up with real MMA fighters and former WWE Champion Kurt Angle.

Warrior is a very emotional and inspirational film that tugs on the old heart strings. Warrior doesn’t do anything vastly different, but it’s still an utterly brilliant movie.





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