Canis Firebrand

I found a bargin while looking at Target. Picked up The Contender for $9.99.
I read the back and it sounds like it could be a decent movie. But I don't want to open it to find I don't like it. It still has buying/trading power sealed.

Thanks in advance.

jfoobar

Well, this thread could have the potential of re-opening a huge can of worms.

The Contender starts out well and is generally well-acted. Unfortunately, the plot twist near the ending is nothing less than a phenomenal copout, the ending itself is remarkably unrealistic, and the closing chapters feature some extremely inappropriate liberal propaganda.

I chalk it up as another member of the "good premise poorly executed" club.

chsidwel

I really enjoyed this film. I thought Gary Oldman was simply amazing. It was fairly slow, but I found it to be gripping as well. A very good political film IMHO.... I own it and am glad I do. I wish I could have gotten it for $10!!

chuckd21

Good flick:

http://www.jaxfilmjournal.com/bmcontender.html

pagemaster7

I agree and disagree with this review. Yes the ending is a copout, but I rather liked it. The "liberal propaganda" angle has been overdone, the fact ever film has to lean to one side or another in it's views. The contender I feel is better than most films about not pounding the viewer with political views that are really propaganda for lack of a better term. I enjoyed the plot of The Contender, and the plot twist. I found the film to be believeable while still being very enjoyable and interesting. The performances are outstanding(Jeff Bridges, Joan Allen, Christian Slater, Gary Oldman, Sam Elliott, and William Petersen are all in top form), and The Contender keeps your attention without resorting to cheap thrills. The thing I enjoyed the most about this film is that it shows all of these politicians as people, and not as your standard steriotypes. The dvd anamorphic transfer itself looks wonderful, although some of the more vibrant colors could have been better. The audio is excellent, but there really isn't much of a differnece between the DTS and Dolby Ditgital. The dvd has a decent list of few extras(deleted scenes, cast bios, featurette, commentary, trailer, production notes), overall a well done dvd.
Out of five stars:
Film-****
Transfer-****
Audio-****1/2
Extras-***1/2

budster7

Vryce, how did you get it for $9.99? Was it a misprice? Did it scan correctly?

tgproductions

ok film, feels like an HBO movie at best - Network TV Movie of the week at worst. Performances are top-notch though. It felt a little slick in it's plot choices to be believable through and through. Given that this kind of political environment and lobbying power does exist in the real world, the filmmaker should have done a better job in capturing it. I am picky. why? see All The President's Men.

Canis Firebrand

Rang up at $19.99 (normal price). But there was a price tag on it that said $9.99

DVD Smurf

I thought that the movie was great, especially the camera filter that gave the film a documentary look to it. Gary Oldman gives an excellent performance. The film in itself is not about politics, even though it is shot in a political setting. It is based on an individuals values and morals that conflicts with another persons belief in human ability. In psychology we call this phenomenon attribution, which can be found under attribution theory in any general psychology book. In short, the film states values and morals does NOT equal ability.

[Edited by DVD Smurf on 04-30-01 at 03:21 PM]

Oatsdad

It's worth a look if just for the superb acting. I especially thought that Jeff Bridges was terrific - he got robbed at the Oscars! Anyway, for only $10, it's a keeper.

Link to my full review:

http://www.dvdmg.com/contender.html

TheMovieGuy

Grabs your attention pretty early in the film. Hypes up a story line that never really explodes as much as you would expect. But for $9.99, it's a keeper.

victor_vc

What about the extras? are they worth it?