"Rocky" meets "Ironweed" in Ron Howard's superb "Cinderella Man," a knockout boxing movie that reunites the director with his "A Beautiful Mind" star, Russell Crowe. "Cinderella Man" is the name Broadway's unofficial poet laureate, Damon Runyon, bestowed on fighter Jim Braddock (Crowe) who, like a Seabiscuit in boxing trunks, became an underdog hero for a nation feeling pretty underdog-ish itself in the Depression '30s. Read the full review
The story of Depression-era fighter and folk hero Jim Braddock, who defeated heavyweight champ Max Baer in a 15-round slugfest in 1935.
Director: Ron Howard
Starring: Russell Crowe, Renee Zellweger, Connor Price, Paul Giamatti, Craig Bierko
Run time: 144 minutes
Release date: June 3, 2005
Rating: PG-13 for intense boxing violence and some language.
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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: A-
"Crowe is the movie's tarnished golden boy, its ace-in-the-hole left hook... To watch him as he makes his mark isn't just exciting, it's a privilege."
Austin American-Statesman: 3 of 5 stars
"(Director Ron) Howard generates a throbbing intensity during the final fight... conjuring a raw, thrilling brutality that rattles you."
Dayton Daily News: B+
"The thrilling final hour, a well-staged series of increasingly tense boxing matches building to the showdown between Braddock and Baer ... will have audiences cheering."
The Palm Beach Post: B
"What holds it back from an unqualified decision is the gnawing feeling that we have seen this story before, only with a spindly-legged horse instead of a prize fighter with an glass fist."
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