Damage

This is the male's love story. Hollywood continues to pump out these same type of underground fight movies: Fighting, Never Back Down, Blood and Bone. This time it is Steve Austin's time to tear it up. Each time, the main character gets bigger, physically. Blood and Bone's Michael Jai White showed the most skills and that final fight scene was impressive. The final fight in Fighting, that motivational speech before the climax was what I remember most, that was a cool shout out on top of the building. The problem with Fighting is the dialogue in between the fight scenes was horrendous. Notably the exchanges between Channing Tatum and a girl he likes.

Austin is John Brickner in this movie. He killed a man in self defense and served his time, but he is released on good recognizance. One of the reasons he is released is because the wife of the man he killed wrote on his behalf. But when he is released she wants something in return. She does not have any health insurance, and her daughter needs a new heart. The mother is a loser but after John sees her daughter he agrees to do what he can to save her life.

The unheard of Laura Vandervoort is the female fetale in this movie. She plays Frankie and she can light up any screen. How Kirsten Dunst obtains roles and Laura does not is a true Hollywood conspiracy theory.

Walton Goggins is in this show. He was in the best show, one of the best police dramas I have ever seen called The Shield. Incredible show, bad series ending but every episode was packed with incredible characters and situations. I miss it. Reno is the name of Walton's character in this movie. He is one of the premier Seattle's underground managers. But he is still scrapping by and owes some mobsters some serious coin. Every character in this movie has a debt to pay, don't we all.

John cracks heads in all sorts of fighting venues. The writers displayed some serious imagination in this aspect, perhaps they are also fight video game writers or borrowed some ideas from Activision or Electronic Arts, either way, that was cool. Gladiator had Tigers, this movie had dogs. The only thing that has changed as the crowds have shrunk for this type of sporting activity. I guess modern society has more humane sports to cheer about, perhaps so, but this gambling attraction will not ever dissipate.

Reno could have had an easier time of John did not have any morals. But he chose not beat a fighter to death, so this constituted a forfit. His opponent would have killed him and laughed about it in the end. Serious stakes. John is a good man. John did not know Reno owed money, but John did know that he needed some serious cash to help pay for the heart transplant. Trade a punk's life for a sweet little girl, I think that is a fair trade. Reno's life was hanging by the threads as well. But Reno kept this close to home, John was ignorant of the route of this stagecoach.

John did not have a car but in a few scenes he still got around. Oh well, they also did not ever show him lift any weights. But he was working in construction until his screwball manager fired him. Then he saves his life by giving him CPR as he has a self induced heart attack. I say self induced since this prick foreman just created drama for himself. The only reason he was a foreman any how is because his powerful brother dropped him into that position.

This movie does have a happy ending. There is alot of blood and violent scenes. The fighters in this movie punch sideways, not straight into their target. Interesting. For a lower budget film though, this was half way done. This movie was routine though, not much originality.

I allocate this movie two stars.**