Invincible (BD)

Years ago I heard the real-life Vince Papale interviewed on a sports radio talk show on 710AM, and he was personable enough that I decided then and there to go see his bio film that was being released. In the interview, Papale spoke eloquently of the tough times he underwent, his three years spent with the Eagles, his relationship with Coach Vermeil, and the abuse heaped upon him by his scoffing teammates.Papale was matter-of-fact in his claim that he was the fastest guy on that Eagles team of '76. He also spoke of Mark Wahlberg in glowing terms, of how he and Mark bonded, and how Walhberg spent quality time playing with Papale's kid. Like Papale, Wahlberg grew up in a rough neighborhood. So, Wahlberg, in his portrayal of Papale, pretty much was acting from a place close to his roots.Maybe some plot spoilers.It's 1976 in Philly. The spectre of the Vietnam War still hovers. The energy crisis still looms. Blue collar Joes are getting laid off en masse, and everyone's hair is just horrible. And, oh yeah, the Eagles suck. Invincible is the true-life story of underdog Vince Papale (Mark Wahlberg), who, in 1976 lost his wife and found his school-teaching jobs dwindling, and was then toiling away as a 30-year-old bartender.In the meantime, to shake things up with his going-nowhere-fast football team, Philly's new head coach Dick Vermeil (Greg Kinnear) decides to hold open try-outs. Being a passionate, life-long Eagles fanatic, and with past experience as a wide receiver in some minor league football league, Vince doesn't pass up on this chance... and impresses Vermeil with his speed and his hard-contact hitting and, most of all, his heart. Improbably, Vince makes it on the Eagles roster as the oldest rookie ever (not counting kickers, but kickers don't count, anyway) and without the benefit of college football experience.Invincible parallels Papale's rookie struggles with Vermeil's baby steps as head coach. Given the team's recent rubbish history, Vermeil realized that something fresh was needed to lift up the spirits of the Philly fans who, going into this season, expected absolutely nothing from their Eagles. But, mostly, this movie covers Papale's arduous trek, from the long shot open camp try-out, thru the brutal training camp, to the regular season's opening game, where the Eagles get whacked by the powerhouse Dallas Cowboys, and, finally, to the Eagles' home opener versus the hated New York Giants, wherein Papale becomes instrumental in the Eagles' winning Vermeil his first game as head coach.It's a star vehicle for Mark Wahlberg, obviously, and he brings to the table his patented street savvy and average guy grit. I'll say this for Wahlberg, he's made a habit of being genuine and heartfelt in his roles. You never doubt his physicality. It comes in handy in his breathing cinematic life to the rugged Papale.If you didn't know a talk show host can transition into a terrific actor, you must not know about Greg Kinnear. He is great as the head coach. He perfectly captures Vermeil's touchy-feely personality. And every time I see Elizabeth Banks onscreen, I crush on her that much more. She makes an impression as a spirited barkeep and unapologetic New York Giants fan. Keep an eye out for the scene in which she makes her way thru the Eagles' home stadium. How do you get to be a guy's dream girl? I'm not saying being knowledgeable about sports is the big decider. But that counts huge.Invincible makes a point of never letting you forget about Vince's ordinariness and his fish-out-of-water situation by occasionally throwing him back in scenes with his mates at the pub. These mugs - some of 'em lifelong friends - root for him, yeah, but, at the same time, they want to make sure he doesn't forget where he came from. Meanwhile, Vince's dad mingles safe pessimism and hidden hope. "A man can only take so much failure," says dad. It's left to Papale's buddy Tommy (Kirk Acevedo), his kindly bar boss Max (Michael Rispoli), and the down-to-earth bartender, Janet, to be the steadying rocks in his life.Ericson Core, first time director, former cinematographer, does great at catching the inner city vibe of Philly's lunch pail community. He does this with camera shots of the city's gritty, grimy avenues, alleys, and dives. I right away bought into the realism of the 1970's setting, it was that convincing. To watch Vince Papale jog thru the streets of Philly is to instantly think of another sports movie set in the same time, in the same city. Think boxing. The football scenes are fairly intense, with plenty of hard contact, bruised flesh pounded, bones crunched. Maybe there's too much slo-mo.In that interview, Papale pretty much admitted this movie didn't totally keep faith with the facts, that some scenes were prettied up. What mattered, he said, was that Invincible did stay true to the spirit of his journey. I'm a sucker for underdog stories. Coincidentally, Vince's nickname on the Eagles was "Rocky." Invincible's being based on a true underdog story whetted my appetite for the movie even more. I love football. This is a football movie. It's acted out with unaffected sincerity and with great respect for the source material. I saw Invincible again the other night, for the umpteenth time. Never gets old.

" . . . now if you know what you're worth go out and get what you're worth. But you got to be willin' to take the hits and not pointing fingers and sayin' you ain't where you wanna be because of him, or her, or nobody. Cowards do that, and that ain't you . . ."- Sylvester Stallone as Rocky BalboaYeah, that from Rocky, but it's appropriate because of WHEN the movie is set and when/where Rocky was set. This guy has a bitch for a wife. She tore him down, not support him. He was being worn down by it. He took what she wrote and used it as the fire to rise from like a phoenix. Come guys, if she doesn't ADD to your life and support you, get the negativity out of your life and cut the dead weight so you can rise higher in your life.See my review of the song "Believe" by share on here and you'll see why I connect with Vince.

If you love football, the history of the game as well as the excitement of watching the game, you should not miss this incredible movie. I don't want to give away the story, you can read about that if you want, but I will say this true story is likely unparalleled in the NFL. Eagles fans will really love the movie but even this Seahawks fan couldn't avoid becoming an Eagles fan, at least while watching this movie. Definitely recommended for all sports fans of all ages.

This true story, with appropriate embellishments, is inspiring, visually wonderful and still manages to give a sense of the "up from nothing so we all have to stick together" feeling of the title character's background. Wahlberg fits the bill to a T in this flick and his acting chops have improved wonderfully in the past few years, a great job, although I think the fact that the character wasn't much of a stretch was part of it. An out of work teacher gets a shot in the NFL, and makes it -- even if only on special teams -- a rousing true to life story with a very well worked screen play that added enough elements to make it a great movie without completely diluting the actual events and story. The DVD extras include a great documentary on the making of the movie and Papale's actual career. Highly recommended for any football fan, or fan of "little guy reaches impossible dream" stories.

Love this film. Don't know how many copies I've already bought as gifts for family and friends. You don't have to be interested in football to appreciate this wonderful, uplifting and true story.

I cant rate 0 starts or i would. It arrived after 2 weeks and is unwatchable as it is american version erm HELLO! YOUR SENDING IT TO ENGLAND HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO WATCH IT????? IF IT ONLY WORKS IN AMERICA! If u had stated that i wouldnt of bought it but no u didnt state it so u let people buy it then they find out they cant watch it so they are stuck with it. My fiance was very disapointed as he really wanted to see it. A true con! Dont order nothing from these people total con artists

I really enjoyed watching this it had meEntertained from start to finish MarkWahlberg a truly great actor with a goodSupporting cast definetly to be ear recommended

Good

Great film one of whalbergs best.