Against the Ropes | | Cast : | Charles S. Dutton, Meg Ryan, Omar Epps | | Director : | Charles S. Dutton | | Studio : | Paramount Home Video | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby | | Released Date : | February 20, 2004 | | DVD Released Date : | December 29, 2004 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), English (Original Language), French (Original Language), English (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | April 28, 2005 | | Summary | would've made a decent TV "Movie of the Week"... | Content
 | Against The Ropes isn't as awful as you might think after reading some of the reviews here, but it IS a fairly vanilla storyline that takes few risks. Considering that it deals with the world of boxing promotion, it should've been less slick and more seedy. Having said that, I liked it well enough...maybe not in a "I need to buy this DVD" kind of way, but it makes for a decent rainy day viewing, or maybe as a non-threatening date flick to check out. Meg Ryan carries the film for the most part, turning in a credible performance, not to mention showing alot of sex appeal...but without her, this movie would've gone down for the count. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 30, 2005 | | Summary | Was Tom Hanks in this movie? | Content
| It is embarrassing to see Hollywood have their hands so deep into a project that you can already tell how the film will end before you even finish watching the opening credits. You could even possibly tell how the film will end, and how most of the main conflicts will be resolved, from a true Hollywood preview. This is exactly the case with Against the Ropes. While Meg Ryan thinks that she may be shedding her romantic-comedy skin for something a bit more roughly, what actually is demonstrated is that Ryan is willing to do any feel-good project. There was nothing gritty or real about this film, and in fact, should be labeled as a fantasy story. With the fading accent that Ryan produces only brings smiles to most faces, the fact that nothing truly bad happens on her road to achieving greatness in a male dominated world is pathetic. The writer of this film, same writer as Save the Last Dance, doesn't give any honest response to Ryan on her journey to the top. The fighter never looses a fight and Ryan is never stopped from being the best, she continually has one good thing happen to her time after time. To me, this builds for a true-Hollywood story that promises never to change or to bring anything tempting to the screen.
I honestly could picture this film as a very gritty portrait of a woman trying to compete in a man's world, but instead what was actually shown to me was this laminated piece of fake history that was promoted as the story of Jackie Kallen's life. There was no dark seedy underbelly to this story, except for when Ryan moseys her way into the ghetto. In quite possibly one of the most racist scenes of the film, Ryan clichés her way into the world of this fighter that is black therefore from the streets. I know that they were trying to build the background to where this unstoppable boxer could come from, but to me it has all been done before and better. I thought that the filmmakers even glossed over the ghetto to bring us into this dramatic light. It was not a believable story, and ultimately that is what hurt this picture.
Outside of this laminated world created, there were just so many loose ends that were not even attempted to be closed by anyone in the film. Tim Daly's character was the most simplistic character I have ever seen in a film causing the mere minutes he was in this film to be some of the most catastrophic and confusing ever. Was he in love with Jackie? Did he still hate her at the end? What was he doing most of the time? Then there was actor/director Charles S. Dutton who played double duty in this film and gave us nothing new with his character. Cliché after cliché, Dutton played the exact same boxing coach that has been done time and time again. Does every boxing coach need to be gruff and large? Apparently, when you are in Hollywood, the answer is "yes". The only person that gave some decent effort in this film was Omar Epps, whose voice was completely covered by Ryan's lacking appeal. You basically had to look at Epps during this entire film because Ryan's performance gave you splitting headaches. This than caused several problems throughout the film, especially the ending. What happened at the end? I can't even count on one hand the number of questions that I had and why, oh dear me why, Hollywood created this glossed ending that resembled nothing of real life, but was destined to give the audience something to tear up about. GET OVER YOURSELF HOLLYWOOD. If you want to make a good movie, you must show realism, not everyone clapping at the end. How many times in real life does this happen? Either way, it was despicable and nothing sort of general.
Overall, this film was a waste of time. If you have seen one sporting film, you have seen Against the Ropes. If you have seen two sporting film, then I am sorry for you. Sport genres are my least favorite and this is yet another glowing example of why. Cheap characters coupled by a story that seemed more like fairyland instead of reality brought this movie down quite a distance in my book. What is even more appalling is the fact that Jackie Kallen looks nothing like Meg Ryan. Apparently, the studios needed someone that would attract people to the film because the STORY ITSELF cannot carry on its own, so Ryan was called in to change her image and bring out the worst of the story. I continually kept a keen eye on this movie just to see if Tom Hanks would make an appearance as her dad, possibly another boxer or just some random moment to revitalize the Ryan/Hanks appeal, but alas, it never occurred. It would have helped the film in the long run, but instead we found cliché after cliché was the stronger approach. I am not suggesting this film at all unless you are a die-hard Meg Ryan fan, and even then I think you will be disappointed.
Grade: ** out of ***** |
| Rating | | | Date | February 22, 2005 | | Summary | Look at Her! | Content
| A predicatble little movie, but Meg Ryan does a great job. It is a role for her that is quite a bit different from her traditional image . . she is getting a little older too, and it is more logical for her to play these roles. Some of the fight scenes are a bit rough, but she is a pleasure to watch. |
| Rating | | | Date | January 27, 2005 | | Summary | Boxing was her passion | Content
| One of the reasons I liked this movie was the message of you can do anything you set your mind to do regardless of the obstacles in the way. The movie starts off in 1972 with a little girl standing by the ring watching the boxers fight. You can see the fire in her eye, and as a little girl she really loved boxing. Fastward to adulthood and Jackie is an Executive Assistant to Irv Able. Boxing is her passion and working as an Executive Assistant is her way to be involved. A night out at a party she gets into a discussion with La Rocca (Tony Shaloub) and he offers her one of his boxers for a dollar. She is more than up for the challenge. Problem is the boxer is a major crackhead, and has smoked away all his money. He is in no condition to fight for anything except for finding a way to feed his sorry drug habit.
Enter Luther Shaw, a drug dealer by trade, but Jackie sees something in him that she can work with. Especially after Luther knocks out the boxer she was supposed to work with. Luther is tough, stubborn and he thinks he knows it all. Enter boxing trainer Felix Reynolds (Charles Dutton). Felix takes no mess and has no problem putting Luther in his place and bringing him down a notch. Hearing Meg Ryan say words like "off the hook" and "the bomb" in her accent was too funny too me. I know she was playing her role, but it just came out as forced and it just did not sound right. Omar Epps looked really good in his role. You can tell he buffed up to play this role, and his performance was a good one.
I also liked how Jackie was willing to help Luther secure a better place to live and how to manage his finances. When Luther thanks Jackie for helping him you could see that was hard for him to do, but you could also see his vulnerability, and could sense he really appreciated Jackie for looking out for him. Something he has not had happen for him in his life. I thought that was a touching scene.
Sammy mess with Luther's head convincing Luther that Jackie does not have his best interest in mind and that Jackie will have more of a career then he would. Jackie in fact has gotten beside herself. The attention is going to her head and Luther wants out of his contract with her.
Shaw has to fight contender Pedro Hernandez sooner then expected. In three weeks. Will he be ready? Will Luther Win or lose? Needless to say Shaw is a huge under dog. Jackie hands Luther over to La Rocca and realizes that was a huge mistake. Kallen gives him a pep talk that gives him a major boost during the fight. Jackie fades into the background, giving Luther the spotlight. One of the funny lines was Renee (Kerry Washington) who is Jackie's best friend in the film saying, "you call me for Black up" when Jackie goes into a rough neighborhood.
I feel the movie is worth seeing at least once. It's not a fantastic movie, but it kept my attention. The ending was rather abrupt. The movie left some unanswered questions. I really enjoyed Omar's and Dutton's performance in the film.
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| Rating | | | Date | December 30, 2004 | | Summary | "Pretty tough can do anything" | Content
| Jackie Kallen (Meg Ryan) is tired of her job and her boss, but is still taking it because she gets to be in contact with the world of boxing, which is her biggest passion. Her dad was the boxing coach of her uncle, so she spent a large amount of time close to the ring during her childhood and now she cannot stay away. She is almost miserable, but one day while being a little drunk at a party she gets in a discussion with La Rocca, one of the top boxing managers in the country, and he offers her one of his boxers for one dollar. Needless to say that she accepts the challenge.
Now her boss wants her to back out of the deal, but the media caught a whiff of the story and it's too late. On top of this, the boxer she is supposed to manage is an addict and is involved in dealing. But luck is on her side, and while being at her boxer's house she meets Luther in very special circumstances: he knocked out her boxer easily. Things are different now, because she has a real prospect and can truly test if she is any good in this business. As the film progresses though the question becomes: If Luther starts rising through the ranks, will the partners be able to keep their cool or will they go astray under the spell of fame and money?
This is your typical movie for an afternoon in which you want some light entertainment. The story is not extremely original as it has been explored various times before in boxing as well as in other sports. The new twist introduced in this case is the involvement of a female in a sport that seemed to have no place for them until a few years back. The performances, without being bad, are nothing to praise. I would sum it up by saying that this is a movie that you will probably enjoy, but will not either love nor look forward to watch a second time.
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