Movie Review: Invincible - Page 2

The actors who play Vince's fellow Eagles don't have much to do but to play ball, with the exception of Stink Fisher (The Longest Yard), who leaves a good impression as Denny Frank.

Based on Papale's true Cinderella story, writer Brad Gann (Black Irish) creates a solid script, avoiding the schmaltz that is typical of a feel-good story about sports. Gann is able to eliminate the use of foul language and overt sexuality (this is a Disney film, after all) and still effectively develop the characters and show us the time and place. Granted, there are scenes that remind us of other period, true-life sports movies such as Miracle or Friday Night Lights: the father-son prep talks, the buddy scenes, the coach's inspirational speeches, the gruesome practices, the boy-meets-girl subplot, and the obligatory sports action. There are certainly cliches here, but I don't really mind. That's the kind of feel-good formula that actually works for the genre. We come to expect these cliches; no, we demand them. And Gann delivers with emotional punches.

Doubling as cinematographer, director Ericson Core (Daredevil) complements the script with a no-frill production. He aptly shows the time period without resorting to cheesy costumes and make-up. The details are subtle but persuasive. The cinematography has the customary hard edges and gritty looks for a sports film. The rotoscoping effect and close-ups during the action shots add to the excitement. While the production does follow a by-the-book plot line and has a crowd-pleasing climax complete with a heartfelt epilogue, it manages to stay afloat without overt sentimentality and sap. Best of all, it has real heart. Its uplifting themes are truly inspirational. It may not be as good as Miracle or Friday Night Lights, but it's a worthy addition to this invincible genre.

Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Greg Kinnear, Elizabeth Banks, Kevin Conway, Michael Rispoli, Kirk Acevedo, Dov Davidoff, Michael Kelly, Stink Fisher, Michael Nouri, Paige Turco
Director: Ericson Core
Writer: Brad Gann
Distributor: Buena Vista
MPAA Rating: PG for sports action and mild language
Running Time: 105 minutes

Ratings:

Script – 7
Performance – 8
Direction – 8
Cinematography – 7
Music/Sound– 8
Editing – 8
Production – 8

Total – 7.8 out of 10

Article Author: Ray Wong

Ray Wong is the author the novel, The Pacific Between, which won a 2006 IPPY Book Award. He also writes movie reviews for Actors Ink and Talk Entertainment. Other credits include the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Writers Post Journal, the Deepening. …

Visit Ray Wong's author page — Ray Wong's Blog