Warrier, Movie Review Example

The movie, “Warrior” directed by Gavin O’Connor is a family drama intertwined in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA).  The Hollywood reporter indicates this movie as an “emotionally raw family drama”.  (Honeycutt )  The movie is based on a father, two sons, the MMA trainer and the one son’s family.  The family is a blue collar family that goes to Atlantic City to partake in a winner-takes-all MMA tournament.  There are two fathers presented in the movie, Paddy and Brendan.  Paddy is the father of Brendan and Tommy, and the grandfather of Brendan’s children.  Paddy’s family was split during Brendan and Tommy’s teenage years, and Tommy left with his mother due to his father’s abuse.  Brendan stayed with the father, Paddy, which resulted in resentment from Tommy.  Tommy’s mother passes away and Tommy returns many years later to ask his father to train him for the Atlantic City MMA event, as he trained him as an amateur wrestler years prior. Brendan at the same time is having financial problems and wants to enter the contest as well to prevent his house from foreclosure. This brings a twist in the story and the brothers are both competing against each other, and only one can win.

The movie embarks on the role of a father. It is assumed that Paddy helps his sons because of guilt from the past in some sort of reconciliation.  Brendan takes a different role than his father and strides to do anything for his children, even dressing as a clown on their birthday or fixing his daughters dollhouse.  In addition, there is a specific scene that illustrates the length that a father would take for his family.  For instance, when Brendan responds to Bankruptcy as an option as “That’s not how we do things” and tells his wife of his plans for the Atlantic City contest.  The term “warrior” can then be applied to Brendan, as he will fight for his family’s sake, literally.  Tommy, on the other hand isn’t a father yet and the term “warrior” is meant for him to show his courage and fight for his late mother and forgive his father.

The thesis statement for this movie would read the following: “By examining three key scenes from the 2011 film, Warrior, we see that the movie defines family as something worth fighting for”.  The thesis statement itself is why I liked this film.  It is an emotional drama, but illustrates the love a parent has for their child.  It also shows forgiveness after years of hurt.  The only thing I did not like about this movie, was the downplayed role of Brendan’s wife.  The wife, Tess, has little say in the choice that Brendan makes.  I feel marriage is a partnership and should be treated that way, even in rough times.

Works Cited

Honeycutt, K.   Warrier Film Review. (2011) Retrieved [November 27, 2012]. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/warrior-film-review-220959