36
Metascore
36 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 63ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliIt succeeds in many of the ways a sports movie should, and, by employing a slightly different viewpoint for most of the production, manages a sense of freshness.
- 50Chicago ReaderJonathan RosenbaumChicago ReaderJonathan RosenbaumI'm far from being a fan of the sport, but the boxing sequences held me and the overall atmosphere appears reasonably authentic.
- 40The Hollywood ReporterMichael RechtshaffenThe Hollywood ReporterMichael RechtshaffenRyan and the rest of the cast are forced to slug it out with the kind of trite dialogue that seems to have been lifted straight off of those corporate inspirational posters.
- 40The A.V. ClubScott TobiasThe A.V. ClubScott TobiasRight up to the ludicrous finale and an even more improbable denouement, everything rings Hollywood-false. More galling still, the filmmakers' inventions take the zing out of the facts.
- 40TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghTV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghEven by the standards of pop-moral parables passing for entertainment, this is bland stuff.
- 38Chicago TribuneMichael WilmingtonChicago TribuneMichael WilmingtonIt's a real shame that most new boxing movies try to copy the crowd-pleasing, sentiment-choked tactics of "Rocky" rather than the stark drama of "Raging Bull" or the realistic grit of "On the Waterfront" and "The Harder They Fall." Against the Ropes is only the latest sorry example. The sad thing is that, with this real-life story and subject, it could have been a contender.
- 33Entertainment WeeklyScott BrownEntertainment WeeklyScott BrownFor all I know, Ryan's performance could be a dead-on Kallen impression. But what she appears to be doing is an impression of Johnny Depp doing an impression of Keith Richards doing an impression of Liz Taylor.
- 30Dallas ObserverBill GalloDallas ObserverBill GalloRyan never quite convinces us she's seen the inside of a fight gym, much less that she's worthy to be Rocky in a miniskirt. On the other hand, her director here was not Campion but actor Charles S. Dutton, whose behind-the-camera skills, developed via cable TV, tend toward the cartoonish.
- 25Christian Science MonitorDavid SterrittChristian Science MonitorDavid SterrittLike the recent "Mona Lisa Smile," this tale could have been an effective feminist fable if it weren't so calculated.