5 of out 5 stars

After a long summer of blockbuster hits, as well as some Hollywood duds, it is refreshing to see a film as well-crafted and exceptional as Warrior. The film, which has been heavily compared to last year’s Oscar-winning film, The Fighter, is stuffed with raw, emotional energy from start to finish. Warrior is already being called one of the best films of the year, a title it decidedly deserves due to its mesmerizing story and unforgettable characters.

There are multiple conflicts set up throughout the plot of Warrior but the story primarily focuses on a deeply troubled family. Brendan Conlon , played by Joel Edgerton , is a high school physics teacher living happily with his wife and two daughters in Philadelphia.

Tommy Conlon (Tom Hardy, in his best role yet), Brendan’s alcoholic brother living in Pittsburgh, is an Iraq War hero who has trouble coping with his tragic military experiences. The film tends to focus more on Brendan, which is the only unfortunate aspect of the movie since Tommy’s story is just as entertaining.

The only thing the brothers have in common is their mutual hatred for their father (Nick Nolte , in one of his most outstanding roles ever) who abandoned them as kids due to problems with alcoholism. Although their father has sobered up, becoming a changed man, the brothers cannot forgive him for all of the pain he has caused them. The emotional force that ensues after their father pleads and begs for forgiveness is one of the most powerful elements of the film.

The brothers have not seen or spoken to each other for years since Brendan left Tommy and his mother to start a family.

When the bank threatens to take away his home, former Mixed Martial Arts fighter Brendan decides to start training again in order to compete in an Ultimate Fighting Championship tournament worth five million dollars. Tommy also enters the tournament because he needs the money to fulfill a promise he made to the family of his deceased friend from the military.

Tommy enlists his father, a great ex-fighter, to be his trainer, but he must sternly remind his father that he is not looking to repair their relationship.

Brendan and Tommy are both successful at the beginning of the tournament, and find they must compete with one another. Each brother has justifiable reasons for competing, convincing the audience to root for them both, adding more and more tension as the tournament wears on.

The portrayal of the sibling rivalry in Warrior is well-balanced, and allows for a fresh angle on the familiar tropes of the fighting film genre.

The film works well for many reasons, most notably for the great characters and the powerhouse performances by the actors. One of the greatest portrayals in the film goes to Nick Nolte in a truly unforgettable role as the redemption-seeking father. Also noteworthy is that the story is not told in the traditional fighter movie format. While there are clichés in the story, the plot exposition is interesting and well-done, keeping the audience involved the whole way through.

Like every great fighting film, the MMA fighting sequences are excellent and extremely suspenseful. While at times the audience may have a hunch on what will happen next, the fights are tremendously intense and breathtaking.

As stated earlier, the plot does contain some “inspirational sports movie” clichés . However, in the end, the viewer will still be satisfied with the film’s close. The emotional kick of the film is unforgettable as well, with the redemptive and forgiveness themes causing many scenes to be tearjerkers. While there are many conflicts in the film, such as the obvious familial and conscious issues, they are not overbearing and they play out brilliantly.

When watching the film, one can reminisce about how inspirational Rocky was for its time. This film is also capable of having that inspired touch upon all of those who view it, since it makes the audience care about both the events and the characters of the film.

As part of a movie genre that has been replicated many times before, Warrior stands out due to its powerful emotional core and great character-driven qualities. Warrior stands out as one of the best films of the year. In modern times like this when Hollywood either recycles or re-imagines all of its films, movies such as Warrior can give us hope that great, new films are always bound to come.