Undefeated

Awful from top to bottom.

Cliched characters.

Clumsy pacing and plot.

Rancid dialogue.

So-so directing.

"Undefeated" is a shabby and hackneyed rags to riches story about a poor Latino boxer from Jackson Heights, NY who wins the a welterweight championship and finds the challenges in the ring are small compared to the challenges in his personal life. An unfortunate directorial debut for Leguizamo, this film shows us nothing new, is ill-focused, uneven, and full of cliches and two dimensional characters. As a human drama, "Undefeated" is a mediocre B-flick. As a fight film, it falls on its face and does nothing to give insights into the real, fascinating, and corrupt world of professional boxing. (C)

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!!!

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.