Warrior (www.the-usher.com)

"I'm serious. We train. That's it. I don't wanna hear a word about anything but training, you understand?"

When the MMA announces a tournament with the biggest price in the sport’s history, the world’s best Mixed Martial Artists enter. Internet sensation Tommy Riordan (Hardy), who knocked out one of the main contenders during a sparing match is the unknown quantity and former UFC fighter Brendan Conlon (Edgerton) gets the chance to step in when his best friend and trainer Frank Campana (Grillo) loses his entry to injury. For each fighter, the tournament means more than just winning, it is a way to redeem themselves and a chance to make up for the mistakes of their past.

The fight has been a part of movie history since the invention of cinema with the audience cheering for an underdog against a champion sure of an easy victory but ‘Warrior’ is different.

The sport of pugilism has been the mainstay of cinema for decades but the sight of a boxer heading into the ring is something that real life audiences are losing interest in the most ancient of sports, especially at the heavy weight level. This cannot be said for the up and coming sport of MMA or Mixed Martial Arts and the success on television of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) has sparked the interest of Hollywood. With stars of the sport like Gina Carano (Haywire), Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson (The A-Team) and Randy Couture (The Expendables) all making a splash on the big screen but can the sport itself provide a story for a drama like ‘The Fighter’, ‘Raging Bull’ and ‘Rocky’ did for boxing? The answer is yes with ‘Warrior’.

This is the story of a father and his two sons, brought together after years apart, many mistakes and far too much bad blood. Nick Nolte’s Paddy Conlon is a recovering alcoholic who has lost everything but when his youngest son Tommy, played by British rising star Tom Hardy, arrives on his doorstep with a proposition, Paddy sees this as a way back into his family. Tommy wants his father to do the one thing in his life that he was good at, training him to be a fighter. He has entered a huge MMA tournament in Atlantic City, which he needs to win for reason he will not share with anyone. At the same time, Paddy’s eldest son Brendan (Joel Edgerton), a former UFC fighter but now a family man and teacher, is struggling to make ends meet and is fighting after work for money. When his old coach Frank Campana loses his fighter for the tournament to injury, Brendan asks to prove himself so he can take his place. This puts the brothers on a collision course to fight each other in tournament but that is just the background to a moving family drama that throws emotional and dramatic punches until the final bout.

To emphasize the drama over the sport you need actors that can bring both power the emotional story as much as anything they can bring in the ring and in Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy, co-writer and director Gavin O’Connor has done just that. Australian actor Edgerton has slowly built up a career of supporting roles in films like ‘The Thing’ and the incredible ‘Animal Kingdom’ but this is his first real chance to show what he can do. An everyman, who was brought up to fight by an abusive, alcoholic father, Joel Edgerton’s Brendan is the family man fighting for the future of his family. Tom Hardy is also a rising star after making a real splash in ‘Bronson’. His appearances in ‘Inception’, ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’ and ‘This Means War’ has thrust him into the limelight but it is this role as Tommy that shows his physical as well as his dramatic credentials. These two stunning performances are galvanized by Nick Nolte’s Paddy. As a recovering alcoholic, Nolte’s Paddy is seeking redemption for the way he treated his family while under the influence of drink. The Oscar nominated actor is a powerhouse and creates a character that has his own battle to fight.

‘Warrior’ will do for MMA what ‘Rocky’ did for boxing. While it might be predictable where the filming is heading from the off, the journey is a powerful one and the confrontation is not about winning the tournament but fighting for a family. Stunning, emotional and moving, ‘Warrior’ is much more than a sports film.

Redemption: Bringing Warrior To Life Documentary
Brother Versus Brother: Anatomy Of The Fight
Philosophy In Combat: Mixed Martial Arts Strategy
Simply Believe - A Tribute To Charles 'Mask' Lewis, Jr.
Feature Audio Commentary With Filmakers And Actor Joel Edgerton
Full Contact - Blu-Ray Enhanced Viewing Mode
The Diner: Deleted Scene (With Optional Commentary)
Cheap Shots: Gag Reel
Double Play: Blu-Ray and DVD included

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2011