There's the old saying that every story that could be told has already been done so. Moreover, considering that narrative-driven movies have been around for nearly a century, that means most every story told by moving pictures has also been done, often countless times.
Accordingly, it's tough to make a movie nowadays that seems novel, especially in certain genres such as romantic comedies or sports dramas. Since the latter usually follow the rules of the given sport in which they operate, that makes it even tougher, particularly in certain fields where the contestants are limited, such as tennis or boxing.
Occasionally, however, a filmmaker manages to put a twist on the usual genre trappings, such as Clint Eastwood with "Million Dollar Baby" that not only put a female in the ring, but also ended up transcending the usual storyline for such films. While not of the same caliber or stepping out as far on a limb as that pic, "Resurrecting the Champ" at least strives to be different from the usual arrangement of such story particulars.
That doesn't mean, however, that it's a knockout by any means, since just as many of its attempted dramatic punches land soft as directly connect with the viewer. That said, the film, written and directed by former movie reviewer turned filmmaker Rod Lurie ("The Contender," "The Last Castle"), is certainly ambitious.
It not only tells the tale of a former champion who's fallen on hard times decades after his prime, but also the struggling reporter who stumbles upon and wants to tell his story. Part of the plot revolves around their relationship, while another focuses on the same between the reporter and his young son, with the themes of trust, truthfulness, and ambition linking them and the rest of the movie.
Considering that sports of old -- like the entertainment industry -- never really prepared its participants for life after their glory years, the most interesting element concerns the washed up boxer who now lives on the street and must contend with young punks occasionally needing to stroke and stoke their own egos by beating up the old man. When I first heard that Samuel L. Jackson would portray that character, I was a bit concerned, as it seemed possible he might just play him with his usual bulging eyes and foul-mouthed intenseness that's nearly made the actor something of a caricature of himself.
Yet, by underplaying the part and raising his voice an octave or two to signify someone who's lived far off easy street for most of his life, Jackson pretty much nails the part. As a result, one might desire to see the film focus more on him than it already does. Since his character contains an important secret, however, Lurie can't afford to do that.
Instead, he places most of the focus on the reporter character played by Josh Hartnett. Stuck in a seemingly dead-end job, a failing marriage, and a relationship with his young son that could plummet into a familial chasm should his cycle of boastful lies come to a head, the character is decidedly complex.
That is, at least on paper. As portrayed by Hartnett, however, the creation constantly teeters just above the usual cinematic sea of clichés and conventions. The fact that the actor doesn't make the character particularly likable or engaging (except by default based on the plot trappings) doesn't really help matters.
Thus, the part of the film that takes up most of the screen time -- Erik interacting with his son (Dakota Goyo), as well as his wife and coworker (Kathryn Morris), boss (a very old-looking Alan Alda), potential future boss (David Paymer), and then even another of the latter (Teri Hatcher) -- ends up being too flat-footed when it should have been nimble and more interesting to behold.
Some of that's due to the aforementioned character portrayal, but the rest is because of similarly blasé dialogue (that should otherwise snap) and the way the various plot mechanisms fall into place. It's all competently done, but that's also a big part of the problem in that none of it sizzles. It's the equivalent of a boxer who can adequately defend himself, but lacks the punching power to knock us out.
Nevertheless, the scenes between Hartnett and Jackson, and the underlying theme about the long-lasting effects of dishonesty make the film worth watching. Symbolic of sparring competitors out of the ring, feeling each other out, and looking for any opening that might work to their advantage, their bout is engaging to behold, and helps "Resurrecting the Champ" earn a 5.5 out of 10 rating.
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