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Jim's Movie Log: "Against The Ropes"
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Today's review:
"Against The Ropes"
by Jim Farris.
This picture has a troubled history and present. It was made well over a year ago and there were rumors of a troubled production. In February of last year the producer of the film was in Las Vegas on a press junket to promote “Against The Ropes” and bad mouthed the star Meg Ryan. He said she was mean to him, a bitch, and “even mean to my children”; keep in mind that he had money in the film and was trying to get people to pay to see it!
The film was supposed to come out last March but was pulled indefinitely due to the war in Iraq. No, the film has nothing to do with war or Iraqi’s or terrorism. Paramount pulled it because the war was on TV so much they couldn’t buy ad time on the networks. That’s honestly what they said. Paramount is owned by Viacom who also own CBS, UPN, and MTV, yeah those ad buys must have been tough!
Now almost a year later they have found the commercial space and are releasing the film in “The Dead Zone” of late February releases.
Well “Against The Ropes” ain’t that bad. It ain’t that good either. Meg Ryan is fine in the lead (and she looks amazing- like she’s been in a refrigerator or something), playing a white trash fight promoter (based on a real person with a New England accent that wears thin after a while.) With Omar Epps,whose physical presence and sexuality stand out here, Charles S. Dutton, and particularly Tony Shalub (an underused actor now in TV’s “Monk”)the film’s large supporting cast is more than adequate. Dutton makes his directorial debut here and it’s not an auspicious beginning.
The film meanders threw the ho-hum story for the first half and slows as we head to the big finish. It’s supposed to be a fight picture like “Rocky” and thus should pick up not slow down.
In the inevitable ending fight sequence I found myself yawning. With no real emotional commitment to these characters and it's long talky pace there was just no one to root for or care about.
On top of all of that the film's production design and cinematography combine for a cheap, dark, gloomy look that rivals films like "Willy Dynamite" and "Kingpin".
But the worst of “Against The Ropes” is it's view of society. The anti women's movement theme states that a woman can only succeed by being as big a pig as a man (note to producers of this kind of story: watch “Erin Brockovich”).
And it’s view of the down and out talented African American fighter who will suck the pipe without wonderful white people to help him is inaccurate, condescending, boorish, and out of date.
Frankly, I was hoping for a train wreck. Bad movies can have an appeal. When they’re so bad there good it can be a treat, usually pictures with this kind of troubled history fall into that category.
But boring is just boring and this film is just that..
"Against The Ropes"
by Jim Farris.
This picture has a troubled history and present. It was made well over a year ago and there were rumors of a troubled production. In February of last year the producer of the film was in Las Vegas on a press junket to promote “Against The Ropes” and bad mouthed the star Meg Ryan. He said she was mean to him, a bitch, and “even mean to my children”; keep in mind that he had money in the film and was trying to get people to pay to see it!
The film was supposed to come out last March but was pulled indefinitely due to the war in Iraq. No, the film has nothing to do with war or Iraqi’s or terrorism. Paramount pulled it because the war was on TV so much they couldn’t buy ad time on the networks. That’s honestly what they said. Paramount is owned by Viacom who also own CBS, UPN, and MTV, yeah those ad buys must have been tough!
Now almost a year later they have found the commercial space and are releasing the film in “The Dead Zone” of late February releases.
Well “Against The Ropes” ain’t that bad. It ain’t that good either. Meg Ryan is fine in the lead (and she looks amazing- like she’s been in a refrigerator or something), playing a white trash fight promoter (based on a real person with a New England accent that wears thin after a while.) With Omar Epps,whose physical presence and sexuality stand out here, Charles S. Dutton, and particularly Tony Shalub (an underused actor now in TV’s “Monk”)the film’s large supporting cast is more than adequate. Dutton makes his directorial debut here and it’s not an auspicious beginning.
The film meanders threw the ho-hum story for the first half and slows as we head to the big finish. It’s supposed to be a fight picture like “Rocky” and thus should pick up not slow down.
In the inevitable ending fight sequence I found myself yawning. With no real emotional commitment to these characters and it's long talky pace there was just no one to root for or care about.
On top of all of that the film's production design and cinematography combine for a cheap, dark, gloomy look that rivals films like "Willy Dynamite" and "Kingpin".
But the worst of “Against The Ropes” is it's view of society. The anti women's movement theme states that a woman can only succeed by being as big a pig as a man (note to producers of this kind of story: watch “Erin Brockovich”).
And it’s view of the down and out talented African American fighter who will suck the pipe without wonderful white people to help him is inaccurate, condescending, boorish, and out of date.
Frankly, I was hoping for a train wreck. Bad movies can have an appeal. When they’re so bad there good it can be a treat, usually pictures with this kind of troubled history fall into that category.
But boring is just boring and this film is just that..
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