Undefeated

Awful from top to bottom.

Cliched characters.

Clumsy pacing and plot.

Rancid dialogue.

So-so directing.

Immediately after this movie was finished, I wanted to find out how I could get back the hour-and-a-half of my life that I wasted watching this stereotypical, unimaginative, poorly written, poorly directed mess. In addition it boasts one of the worst endings ever in the history of movies. Please don't waste a fraction of your life watching this film. Like me, you will not be able to get that time back.

UNDEFEATED explores the boxing genre in a real, raw, and at times funny way. The boxing sequences are some of the best I've ever seen; people are actually fighting, there's no bull.

The film has a noir quality to it: dark and moody, filled with the complexities that follow us when we pursue our dreams.

Terrific performances from John Leguizamo, newcomer Adrian Martinez as "Chewey," and Nester Serrano as John's trainer. The rest of the cast is rock-solid too.

If you expect this film to be a laughfest like Leguizamo's one man shows, you will be disappointed. Instead, UNDEFEATED reveals the dramatic, complex Leguizamo; and an authentic look at the friends we may have to leave behind when life forces us to make some hard choices.

Leguizamos ego that is. This guy has been handed carte blance by HBO for some reason, to do whatever he wants. He's really bad, his comedy is unfunny and his drama comedic. This movie is the Latino version of about 22 fight pictures all nonsensically quilted together. The scenes and dialogue are about as fresh as bread crumbs. Just all unimaginative cliche, but a few real hotties, I must admit. Watch it for the nudity if you must. Otherwise, NEXT!!!

This movie was OK, but nothing too exciting. In the story, a young boxer moves up from the ameteurer ranks to turn pro. Then, he hooks up with a shady manager and eventually becomes a title holder while losing friends along the way. He hooks up with a girl that they call a give-me girl because she just hangs around rich guys. And we have many stereotypical scenes of the boxer's old friends coming around asking for money and the boxer moves into a huge house.

I have two complaints. One is John Leguizamo is too old to play the boxer. In the beginning, an ameteur boxer would probably be 18. Well, he already looks like he's in his 30's. The second is the abrupt ending. It just sort of stops, with no conclusion or anything. The boxer is just walking to the ring for another match.

FINAL VERDICT: If you like boxing, then you may like it. Otherwise, I wouldn't see it.