20 Most Inspiring Movies Of All-Time
17. Warrior
This is quite an unexpected beast of a film. If you go into it expecting All six Rocky films rolled into one (thank you, rent-a-quote) then you might be a bit disappointed.
If you want a gritty family drama, again, it might not be all you want. However, if you go into this film wanting to cheer, cry and feel loved by your family, there might be no better film. The story starts with a long, downbeat scene as US Marine Tommy Riordan (Tom Hardy) meets his ex-alcoholic father (Nick Nolte) after years apart.
Tommy blames his father for the death of his mother, for the pain he put them through, for his violence. Tommy, however, begins to return to the mat and visits a local gym where he takes down the local big shot Mad Dog Grimes. Tommy essentially tells his father to train him for the upcoming MMA Sparta tournament so he can win $5million and give it to the widow of a fallen friend. The flipside to this coin is Tommys brother, ex-MMA fighter and high school physics teacher Brendan.
Unfortunately, Brendan has money worries and unbeknown to his wife, has begun parking lot MMA matches to get the extra money. Unfortunately, he is seen by some parents and suspended. So, Brendan too must enter Sparta or lose his house. We all know where this is headed and, thanks to the ludicrously spoilerific trailer, so did the whole world but sometimes it's not the destination but the journey and this is never more true than here.
The performances by all involved are excellent and Tom Hardy is clearly challenging some early Bane as the focussed Tommy. It is in the final hour, when the Sparta tournament begins, that you can feel the tingle and the tears as the brothers take on ever more imposing opponents before a brilliantly emotional ending in the ring. A tale of family and redemption, with a heady does of rear-naked chokes and superman punches thrown in for good measure.