However rote and derivative the genre may seem, the underdog sports movie still has the capacity to overwhelm even the most cynical critical urges with the pure power of triumphant emotion. Rocky did it. Hoosiers did it. And believe it or not, the Ultimate Fighting Championship movie Warrior does it as well. Thanks to an excellent cast, increasingly fantastic fight scenes and a script where the sincerity far outshines the [...]

If there’s one thing to admire about director Tony Scott (The Taking of Pelham 123, Déjà Vu), it’s that he doesn’t bother trying to please everyone. While other filmmakers have taken on the role of mad scientist, desperately mixing together action, comedy and romance  in the blind hope that it will result in box-office dynamite, Scott is happy doing what he [...]