Undisputed (2002)

Pretty Good

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

What can i say apart from after watching the sequels that were Direct to DVD, i was surprised, I came in expecting Rocky in prison and i got more than that.Although Wesley Snipes and Ving Rhames are both Brilliant Actors on there own merits, they were both miscast in this film, Neither come off as convincing Physical fighters, both are better with weapons rather than hand to hand combat.The most character development is in a minor character who has memory problems and can remember many historical fights, and he wants to see one more legendary fight before he passes, although he comes off more as a clone of Micky from Rocky than anything else.The Fight scenes whilst entertaining and well edited lack when compared to later films in the series, they don't hold a shot long enough and cut away during most of the blows obviously showing that they've been faked.Overall a great movie by it's own accord but when compared to it's sequels it's a mediocre film at best, but still a good watch if you're a fan of either of the top billed actors.

There was a time -- oh, around 1991-1997 -- when Wesley Snipes was one of my very favorite actors. But then he began to get typecast -- his own doing -- into martial arts-related films. He forgot that acting was about...acting. And my esteem for him dwindled...as it seemed to do for pretty much everyone. And this movie is a good example of Snipes not having to act. What he did have to do here was box, and one of the highlights of the film (yes, there are some) is that the boxing was reasonably realistic (and I say that as a person who watches a fair amount of boxing). In fact, I kept wondering how many of those "thrown punches" actually landed at least a glancing blow. The cameraman did a great job filming the boxing scenes. But, as good as the boxing appeared, I still go to a movie to watch acting...and there wasn't much of that here. So, for me, what was the point? The story is okay. A Mike Tyson-like boxer who goes to prison and fights the prison favorite. Ving Rhames actually does the better acting here, and does fine with the boxing, too.Peter Falk has a role as a con who is involved in the gambling side of boxing in the pen; it was meant to be gritty, but comes off as cliché-ish. I always enjoyed seeing Jon Seda on screen, and never quite understood why his big screen acting didn't catch on more.If you wanna watch 2 guys pretend they are boxing, then this is a good film for you. If you wanna watch some good acting, look elsewhere. Okay for a viewing...once.

it is very difficult to sustain interest in a movie wherein you have a fair inkling about the denouement beforehand. Undisputed is one such movie. 5 minutes into the movie, one can actually accurately guess what the end would be like. However, credit goes to the director of the movie that he does not allow the interest of the viewer to sag throughout its run time of nearly 85 minutes. There is Ving Rhames, a character obviously based on Mike Tyson, who is the world heavyweight champion but has been sentenced to the prison under accusation of rape. His contender is played by Wesley Snipes in one of his more restrained roles here. Snipes is the undefeated champion of the prison boxing matches. Rhames is arrogant and a total bully. Snipes has the concentration of a Zen master and is cooler than cucumber. Who will win? The movie is interspersed with many action sequences. The problem lies with Rhames who does not look like a boxing champ and obviously a clichéd story. there are the mandatory side characters but they have two bit role and they fail to impress. The final match is done pretty well but falls short of the iconic scenes of the Rocky franchise. 2.5 out of 5 for this. The sequels are rated higher. Will definitely watch them soon.

Arrogant, brutish, but smart and formidable heavyweight boxing champion George "Iceman" Chambers (superbly played with swaggering brio by Ving Rhames) gets sent to prison on a rape charge. While in jail Chambers encounters modest, yet agile and fearsome reigning inmate champ Monroe Hutchen (a nicely understated performance by Wesley Snipes). Wily mobster Emmanuel "Mendy" Ripstein (an excellent portrayal by Peter Falk) sets it up so Chambers and Hutchen can find out who's really the best in a major high stakes fight. Director Walter Hill, who also co-wrote the lean, compelling, and intelligent script with David Giler, brings a tremendous amount of flashy style and invigorating burning energy to the absorbing narrative: the brisk pace rarely lets up for a minute, there's no filler to speak of, the tone is appropriately hard and no-nonsense, and the big match with Rhames' savage strength pitted against Snipes' lithe speed is extremely fierce, gripping, and exciting. Moreover, there's a welcome and refreshing moral complexity to the neatly contrasting main characters: Although a convicted murderer, Hutchen's low-key and reserved philosophical nature makes him likable while Chambers' raging ego and cockiness ensures that he's hateful and unappealing throughout. The first-rate supporting cast helps a lot: Michael Rooker as sympathetic head guard A.J. Rooker, Wes Studi as Chambers' obsequious cellmate Mingo Pace, Jon Seda as Ripstein's loyal caretaker Jesus "Chay" Campos, Fisher Stevens as the weaselly James "Ratbag" Kroycek, and Dayton Callie as Chambers' cagey manager Yank Lewis. Rhames and Snipes, both of whom are in exceptional ripped shape, make for thoroughly plausible fighters. Lloyd Ahern II's glossy cinematography, Stanley Clarke's moody score, and the rousing rap soundtrack are all up to par. Well worth seeing.