Its not a new story, by any means.

A fighter comes from a humble background and somehow scraps his way to success.

Wards story is familiar to boxing fans, but not to the public at large.

This movie should change that.

Micky Ward, like Michael Oher, is a bit of a cypher.

Its uncomfortable at points, because its so squirmingly guilt-inducing.

It oozes off the screen with every Marlboro sigh, and snuffly threatened tear.

Yes, shes a horrible person, but she thinks that shes doing the best for her boy Micky.

Shes probably the villain, but only by default.

Its not as though shes acting out of malice, she just doesnt know better.

Perhaps the most important character inThe Fighteris Christian Bales Dicky Eklund, rather than the movies subject.

Dicky is Wards older half-brother, mentor, and albatross all at once.

Dicky is a phenomenal mind and knows boxing better than anything else, except for where to score crack.

Bale not only completely nails Eklunds flamboyantly entertaining personality, he also does a great crack addict.

Hes incredible as Dicky, who is an incredible character in his own right.

Of crucial importance in a movie like this is the look.

I remember Micky Wards fight versus Shea Neary, and everything from the movie fight looked familiar.

The boxing action is really well-done, which can be tough for a movie to film.

David O. Russells decision to turn most of that over to the experts was a great idea.

Russell shoots the movie very well, using Wards seven sisters as a combination peanut gallery/Greek chorus.

The blocking of the family scenes is a stand-out of a very well-constructed movie.

The script is also pretty evenly balanced between boxing and family drama.

They really nail Dicky Eklunds character.

Nobodys entirely good or entirely bad.

I have to admit to being biased.

Ive loved Micky Ward since the first time I saw him fight on television.

As a fellow Irish-American, Micky became my fighter, my guy.

From Micky I learned to love Arturo Gatti, the Italian version of Micky Ward.

From those two guys, I became a life-long boxing fan.

Even if youre not a boxing fan,The Fightershould be on your list of things to see.

Its a movie about a fighter thats almost as good as the fighter himself.

Rating:

5 out of 5