Brother Dickie Eklund (Christian Bale) and Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg) are boxers from the small town of Lowell, Massachusetts. At one point, Dickie when toe-to-toe with boxing phenomenon Sugar Ray Leonard, earning him the nickname, The Pride of Lowell. Things haven't been the same since then though, as he has fallen to crack addiction.

Micky however, is making a comeback to his boxing career, but his brother/sparring partner is holding him back, along with the rest of his family. Can Micky push against all odds and win the Welterweight Championship title or will his crazed family end his boxing career for good?

Just by watching The Fighter, you can tell that both Wahlberg and Bale became the roles of these two boxers and not just simply played them on screen. Bale's performance in particular required him to loose weight on account of the crack addiction. While it's nowhere near as drastic as his weight loss for The Machinist, it's enough to make you wonder if this is the same guy who can be seen stopping criminals in Gotham City. Wahlberg, on the other hand, packed on pounds of muscle for his role and actually trained as a boxer for years, going as far as refusing to use a body double for any of the fight scenes. Their dedication to the film speaks for itself on screen.

The bouts are the most interesting aspect of The Fighter. They're intense, fast-paced, and suspenseful; each one being more dramatic than the last. Even if you're not a boxing fan, such as myself, the fights are quite the spectacle. You may even find yourself cheering when the last punch is thrown. You want Micky to win that much. 

Bale and Wahlberg put on a convincing performance but the story runs out of steam quickly. One part is about Dickie's fall from fame, the other about Micky's rise to it. It's constantly switching back and forth, and there always seems to be some cloud of confusion hanging overhead. It takes too long to get where it needs to be.

The brothers' crazy mom and sisters add a bit of humor to the mix, but they're also annoying as hell. Then there's Charlene (Amy Adams) who is Micky's girlfriend throughout the film. She's a fiery woman who at times, can be as tough as Micky. Adams is excellent for the role. It's evident that she can be sexy but also the girl you don't want to mess with. 

The Fighter brings to life the true story of boxers Micky Ward and Dickie Eklund. We've seen so many of these inspirational rise against the odds type sports movies in the past and yet each one manages to capture our attention in the same way. This movie is no different. It's no TKO but the unanimous decision is that The Fighter is a winner.

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