When I was in screenwriting class, my teacher told us there was one thing Hollywood didn't need, and that was more scripts about writers having trouble writing. Perhaps someone should have told the writers of
Resurrecting the Champ that. Based on a true story,
Resurrecting the Champ is about Erik Kernan (
Josh Hartnett), a Denver sports journalist with bigger aspirations than just covering the local events that no one cares about. When he finds out a homeless man everyone calls "The Champ" (
Samuel L. Jackson) is actually a former heavyweight contender, Kernan sees the story as his shot at the big time, filling his father's shoes, winning back his wife AND the respect of his son. Jackson may be great and Hartnett holds his own, but nothing can wrench this movie from the grip of a saccharine, formulaic script full of plattitudes and divided allegiances. The result? You'll wish someone knocked you out in the first round instead of having to watch this long, underwhelming movie.
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