Top 10 - Sports Movies

Hon. Mention - Rush

I have to leave this off the top 10 because though I really, really like the film, quite frankly I find the James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) side of it a bit generic and predictable, though certainly entertaining enough. The film works best however as an exploration of Hunt's rivalry with Nikki Lauda (a terrific Daniel Brühl), and the examination of Lauda's very specific mentality towards racing.

Another film I really love that's a sports film is 'Brian's Song' which I left off the list because it's a television movie; I also hate to leave the likes of 'White Men Can't Jump' off the list.

10. Shaolin Soccer

Just an extremely entertaining, daft ride through the world of exactly what the title suggest: kung fu masters using their kung fu powers to kick off some extremely invigorating, entertaining action sequences. The humour is a bit hit-and-miss as is commonplace for Stephen Chow, but when it's hilarious it is very hilarious, and there's a nice heart to its core I felt was missing from the likes of Kung Fu Hustler.

9. Dodgeball

Also another extremely funny comedy, though I think I prefer this one slightly because it takes the sport of dodgeball and not only milks the sport for laughs, but basically every aspect of organized sport, from the pair of bizzare commentators to the ridiculous uniforms of the competition's contestants, and the comedic subversion of the brazen, ball-busting coach played by Rip Torn. It's all a bit discordant and as always some of the laughs are followed by groans, but I quite love it.

Also, in retrospect that Lance Armstrong scene not only still works, it's even more darkly funny in hindsight.

8. The Fighter

The boxing itself in the film is well handled but hardly memorable, and some of its dramatic beats, especially anything involving a particularly underwhelming romantic subplot with Amy Adams, don't work. The film works marvellously, however, as an exploration of the behind-the-scenes drama of a boxer, Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg), trying to earn redemption from an ugly loss. The relationship between Micky and his mother (a terrific Melissa Leo) is very interestingly drawn, and even more so his relationship with his half brother Dicky Ecklund, played by Christian Bale in a mesmerizing, physical portrayal of a recovering heroin addict with delusions of grandeur from a past he can never get over. In many ways it's a standard boxing film, but elements within it verge on greatness.

7. Hoosiers

A sweet little film about an Indiana basketball underdog team led by the tough, no-nonsense Norman Dale (Gene Hackman) that's about as feel-good as it gets. The film works wonderfully as just a very low-key sort of tale about a small town and its inhabitants, focusing on how their love for basketball brings them together in such different ways, Bonus points for giving Dennis Hopper a rather moving role as the local drunkard who redeems himself as Dale's assistant coach, and has one breathtaking scene where he takes control of the team.

6. Raging Bull

One of those films I don't love, and think is a tad bit overrated...but I still admire it greatly. It's a fantasitcally directed biopic of Jake DeLamotta (Robert De Niro), with Scorsese eschweing any of the usual conventions of the boxing film to create an almost anti-inspirational film of a man who's a beast in the ring, and a beast outside of it too, in a rather unappealing fashion. Both Scorcese and De Niro were every bit as deserving of the acclaim and accolades (at least for the latter) they got, though I still insist that the true deserving winners of that year were The Elephant Man, David Lynch and John Hurt.

5. The Hustler

An extremely iconic film that sprung an unfortunate, workmanlike sequel directed by Scorsese, and a rather bad choice of a career Oscar win for Paul Newman. It's terrible when you think about how they could've awarded him more than 20 years before for his scintillating turn as the same character, 'Fast Eddie' Felsen, in this fantastic drama that takes you into the depths of underwoold pool tables. Newman is brilliant, as are all his co-stars, and every pool game is a masterful example of building tension.

4. Chariots of Fire

This is sort of the film I felt Rush could have been, but never properly realized. It has an iconic theme song for the ages, but that's not all there is to the film; it's also a very well-made exploration of two British cross-country runners in the 1924 Olympics, Jewish Oxford student Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross) with a chip on his shoulder and the religiously devout future missioanry Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson). The film is lovely because it breezes along with such an enjoyable pace, and is suitably lighthearted and endearing for the most part, yet there's always a serious conviction to the material and the runner's stakes that makes the finale so nail-bitingly intense. The script is amazing, one of the best examples of the British prestige picture done right.

3. Field of Dreams

One of the last true 1980s sweet spot movies, this one hits you right in the heart and never lets go. Kevin Costner is the ultimate American Dad Ray, a farmer who hears a voice in his cornfield telling him: 'if you build it, he will come' - and in true American fashion, starts to work on constructing a baseball field on it. It's a love it or hate it film in terms of its schmaltzy feel good nature, and I must confess that it entirely works for me. I love every moment of the film's gradual transcendence into fantasy as the ghosts of the past come out, strongholded by a great supporting cast featuring the greatest voice of all-time James Earl Jones, Ray Liotta in an early atypical role as a former baseball player making amends, and best of all Burt Lancaster as a player-turned-doctor who finds one last chance to play ball. It's a whimsical, hilarious, heartfelt film with a great, emotionally resonant ending, and one you can love even if, like me, you don't quite understand baseball.

2. Creed

1. Rocky

I've written a lot about Creed recently, and I'll be writing about Rocky in the future. As it stands, I'll give the original film the win first, though I'd say Creed reaches some even higher peaks in its depiction of the relationship between Rocky and his rival-turned-friend Apollo Creed's (Carl Weathers) son, Adonis (Michael B. Jordan). The Rocky series is one I absolutely love through and through, well maybe besides V, and that's because of the character of Rocky being such a deservedly iconic one. Stallone's original film and screenplay is so underrated in how it establishes not only Rocky as a character, but the whole world surrounding him and his underdog status in relation to others, especially his trainer Mickey (Burgess Meredith) and Apollo. The boxing/training scenes are great, and build up to a great finale in which I can never get over how inspired the last few shots are, the announcer reading out the victory of Apollo Creed in the background as Rocky embraces the love of his life Adrian (Talia SHire). Creed technically resurrects many similar beats to Rocky, but in an extremely effective fashion that never feels derivative. I love boxing films done well, and both these films are great examples of it done to perfection.