Synopsis
Boxer "Irish" Micky Ward's unlikely road to the world light welterweight title. His Rocky-like rise was shepherded by half-brother Dicky, a boxer-turned-trainer who rebounded in life after nearly being KO'd by drugs and crime.
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Cast
- Mark WahlbergMicky Ward
- Christian BaleDicky Eklund
- Amy AdamsCharlene Fleming
- Melissa LeoAlice Ward
- Mickey O'KeefeMickey O'Keefe
- Jack McGeeGeorge Ward
- Melissa McMeekin"Little Alice" Eklund
- Bianca HunterCathy "Pork" Eklund
- Erica McDermottCindy "Tar" Eklund
- Jill QuiggDonna Eklund Jaynes
Recommendations
- 91
Entertainment Weekly
This one, as thoughtful as it is rousing, scores a TKO. - 83
The A.V. Club
Bale's live-wire performance typifies the many major and minor elements that elevate The Fighter from the deeply conventional sports movie it might have been into the endearingly offbeat sports movie it turns out to be. - 75
Observer
These are characters so repulsive that it's hard to care what happens to them, but it's to the credit of a superb cast that you do end up caring. - 70
Boxoffice Magazine
In its small moments, say when Walhberg sighs that his robe misspells "Micky," The Fighter feels clued-in to the very small, very tough world of a man trying to make his way out of his block-and after getting to know his family, you want to help him pack his bags. - 70
Variety
If The Fighter feels like kind of a mess, lurching from one scene to the next as if the film itself has taken a few hits to the head, that's not entirely a bad thing. - 60
The New Yorker
The Fighter, for all the dedication of its players, takes a heavy swing at us, and misses. - 60
Time Out
You can't necessarily blame Wahlberg, as his modest performance is the one element that feels truly authentic and heartfelt. - 55
Movieline
The tragedy of The Fighter is that Wahlberg's performance suggests a character who wants more. And yet Russell barely seems to notice how much subtlety Wahlberg brings to his role, or to the movie at large.
