Warrior

Two men, with disparate reasons for entering the ring, train and enter the world’s largest mixed martial arts (MMA) competition. The real pull for the movie, however, is their back-story and family relationships, which increases the empathy in what could have been an ordinary sports tale.

ClearPlay In Action!

There are about 50 instances of language, religious exclamations or lewd comments that ClearPlay edits. But since Warrior is a movie about mixed martial arts, there is plenty of violence in the ring. Some is cut, such as blood and gore, but much is implied. The human story and message of forgiveness outweigh the fighting, but parents may want to exhibit caution due to its gritty realism.

Is Warrior the winner and still champion?…

Boasting a cast of less familiar faces, Warrior achieves a realistic feel, largely aided by the cinema verite style of director Gavin O’Connor. Nick Nolte is excellent as a down-and-out father, but it’s the performances of co-leads Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy that score the knockout punches. Warrior could stand toe-to-toe with Rocky and The Fighter and vie for the crowd-pleaser crown.

Marty Nabhan—ClearPlay Ringleader

Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense mixed martial arts fighting, some language and thematic material; 139 min; Directed By Gavin O’Connor