I have to agree with the previous reviews. I saw the trailer and thought, 'oh well, it'll be some kind of made-for-DVD cheap movie that I can divert myself for a while with'. I'd already seen The Marine - and was surprised just how bad it actually was in the end - so I didn't really have any expectations for this flick at all.

Let me just say if you felt the same as that, this is well worth picking up. Is it gonna be a cinema-classic? Nah. But it's surprisingly good. Really, really good, in fact. The story is as you expect - young lad without a male role model in life finds one in his estranged brother, who also needs grounding in the confidence of his younger brother. Danny Glover lurking as a mysterious mentor with a plot twist or two. And Patricia Clarkson's gonna be the 'I love my son but hate what he does' mother. Yeah, so far so made-for-DVD. Yet, it's the performances that steal it. John Cena - as much as I love the wrestler - hasn't quite shown he can act in movies yet, so then it's fortunate here that the role he plays requires a minimum and reflects Cena's own persona, as the man himself says in the extras. He's good, and pretty convincing when he's playing the 'bad boy' version of the brother. Patricia Clarkson is a respected actress and she does the job she got paid for here. Her acting gravitas gives the proceedings a touch of class and she takes the role seriously; more than some 'actresses' would have ever done.

The true star of the show, though, isn't actually Cena or Clarkson, but it's Devon Graye. Playing Cal, I found his portrayal interesting and conflicting, without being contradictory. Cal is your general geek - y'know, good at school, thinkering with mechanics. But from the start, he has an edge. Sharp as a knife and with something behind his eyes, Cal initially comes across as the kind of geek who could easily snap and turn into something horrible. Yet, he isn't unsympathetic because immediately he takes these things and uses them positively. In his relationship with his older brother, he trades these feelings into sport - wrestling, if you haven't realised by now - and in portraying this, Graye completely runs away with the movie. I haven't seen him in anything else but I'm going to check out some of his other films, if he acts as well in those as he does here.

I can heartily recommend this movie. It's mainly predictable, with one or two genuinely unexpected twists at the end, and sends out a positive and uplifting message without resorting to hisitronic schmaltz. I really had a great time watching this, and I didn't expect to. If you check this out, I'm sure you will feel the same.

My only word of caution - this is a story about amateur wrestling, not professional wrestling. I happen to respect the first as a sport and enjoy the second to watch. If you don't like amateur wresting at all, you can still invest in the story, but this isn't a retread of the ground of Micky Rourke's The Wrestler. There's no professional wrestling in this movie. So there. :)

This is by far John Cena's best film, a great story with its ups and downs, definatly worth watching

I have to admit, I wasn't amazingly blown away at the thought of this, BUT upon watching it, I had quite the surprise. A great story of struggle, self-belief and determination with some great little comedy and drama moments in there. Cena himself plays a great role but the real stars are Devon Graye and Patricia Clarkson...well worth a watch!