Simply A Masterpiece

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

This was okay. For the most part, I enjoyed Antonio Banderas and Woody Harrelson in their roles as washed up boxers with "issues" and the boxing scenes themselves are quite well done however as a comedy it failed.The storyline was mediocre, following two aging fighters and best friends who get a chance at the middleweight title (and purse) providing they can get to Vegas in 24hours and then fight each other. The story is mostly a road trip with Antonio's current and Woody's ex girlfriend/promoter along for the ride and to create conflict. The guys do have good chemistry though and along the way we get flashbacks of their careers and competitive friendship over the years.The final fight in Vegas was the best part of the movie, exciting and well choreographed in a Rocky sort of way. I really wondered who was going to win. A bunch of fun cameos in the audience too (Mike Tyson, Kevin Costner, Wesley Snipes, George Foreman etc) and the announcer was familiar. I'm assuming this was also one of Lucy Liu's first roles, she is so young here.03.13

Had to review this film because the rating is so low and I caught it on TV tonight.It's really more on the borderline of 6-7 with me and I'm a boxing fan so it would likely be lower if I knew nothing about boxing.This is a good movie to just drink beer and not really pay too much attention to. I think that's really the target demographic just goofy/offensive comedy for people who aren't looking for anything too serious.I laughed quite a few times but then again I'm not easily offended by politically or socially incorrect humor.Not a great movie by any stretch of the imagination but it was entertaining enough to at least be a 6-7 for me.I think it helps if you currently have or had friends in the past who are pretty competitive and like to trash talk a ton. Definitely a love/hate relationship here between the two main characters, mainly hate... but I found it pretty hilarious in some scenes.

Play It to the Bone is problematic in that it fails with each of its target audiences, but that doesn't mean it can't shine with the right viewer.Sports fans who want frequent boxing action will be disillusioned with the incessant dialog that fills the majority of the film (including the first hour and a half). Those seeking a character driven comedy piece will be turned off by the limited info we receive about the protagonists and the simple plot.Yet, there is a certain sweet spot of viewers that are well-suited for the film. It's important that the audience be enthusiastic about boxing and the lifestyle of fighters, as the greatest payoffs come from Banderas and Harrelson's career back-stories and ultimate combative showdown. At the same time, moviegoers cannot be too pretentious or demand award-winning plot lines and ideologically challenging messages. Instead, it's important to take the film's purpose for what it is: to tell the story of two almost washed-up guys who learn they've reached a point in their lives that demands they lay everything on the line if they want any chance to still make a name for themselves.The fight scenes are superbly shot and are among the most realistic in movie history. You won't find Sly Stallone and Carl Weathers alternating between hay-makers here; instead shots are crisp, cuts and swelling look brutally realistic, and the announcers, cornermen, and patrons that are so distinctive to boxing's atmosphere are transposed from real life to the screen.This movie will not change your life. You will not be laughing out loud until your sides split. You already need to know enough about boxing to enjoy Play it to the Bone that you probably won't gain any insight about fighters from it. But, you'll have some laughs, remember some moments, and get paid off with some remarkable boxing action at the end of your two hour journey.

I see on my screen a cast that lends me to think, "Hey I bet this movie will be good. I enjoy all these actors." Alas, I was deceived. The dialog was dull and sounded oh to familiar. Very reminiscent of every late 90's flick. The acted was ridiculous... especially considering who was cast. Then, we come to the big fight at the end... it started out very cool; the actors were well trained for sure. The actors abilities, however, were ruined by the cameraman and/or the director. Cheesiest production ever of a fight scene. The angles and scene cuts looked like something from our local TV. Sad. Way to ruin an amazing and redeeming quality of the movie. Not to mention the fight went on FOREVER. Several times one of them would go down and people in the crowd are yelling "stay down" and you want them too as well, because seriously it is just too long. There are literally 2 main sets for this movie, the car on the road and the fighting ring.