Tag: Boxing

REVIEW: ‘The Fire Inside’ stumbles due to plotting and pacing

Claressa Shields is a two-time gold medalist and currently the undisputed middleweight champion of the world. Now, she rightfully gets her story told on screen.

The film opens with her as a young girl interested in the sport of boxing and finding an outlet at a small gym in her home town of Flint, Michigan. After she begins a bit of training, the gym’s coach, Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry) sees her potential and starts preparing her to begin an amateur career.

The movie then picks up with an older Shields (Ryan Destiny) who has some wins under her belt and is now aiming for a bigger prize: the 2012 Olympics in London. As the movie shows, Shields has the talent to go the distance, but there are other roadblocks standing in her way to success.

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REVIEW: Even though it takes some hits, ‘Creed III’ ends up above average

In the lede for my “Creed II” review, I asked for the main character Adonis to fight John Cena in “Creed III,” ala Rocky Vs. Thunderlips in “Rocky III.”

It didn’t happen, but the film is still alright.

Michael B. Jordan not only reprises his role as Adonis Creed for the third time in the series, but also directs. Having defended his title several times and getting higher in age, Adonis retires early in “Creed III,” after what he said was his last fight.

Following his retirement, Creed operates a boxing academy where one day he comes across a former friend, Damian Anderson (Jonathan Majors). Just released from prison, Anderson was a promising fighter before his sentence and is looking to get back in the sport. Anderson doesn’t just want to box, though, he wants the title and the life Adonis was able to live while he was in a cell.

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Great (fictional) coaches in sports movies

The NCAA Final Four and Frozen Four both take place in the next week.

Then, the NBA and NHL playoffs are right around the corner. As is the NFL Draft, with the Super Bowl in the rear view. Simply put, there are a lot of sports events taking place this time of year.

With that in mind, I decided to take a look at some of the best fictional coaches featured in sports movies. I mean completely fictional, too, so no made up coaches for films inspired by true stories.

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