Michael's Movie Grade: B
An effective sports drama from China.
What makes this movie work so well is the main character. She is incredibly likable. When anyone is treated as horribly as she is in many scenes in this film, we are automatically going to sympathize with her. While this movie does very much set up why should feel sorry for this character, as the film goes on, we feel much more than sympathy for this character. This character grows to feel very real to us and we get to see what a beautiful heart she truly has. There are many scenes in which you will want to walk into the screen and simply give her a hug. Because of this, we go on this whole emotional journey with her. This strong emotional connection is what makes this familiar story work very well here. This movie also benefits from some very well-done filmmaking. This can especially be seen during the final boxing match scene. I may have no interest in sports whatsoever, but this scene was so well done that I was glued to the screen.
As a boxing film this movie does follow the Rocky formula very closely (the Rocky theme is even heard during a train montage). While it does have a few surprises, it can also feel too familiar at times, like you have seen this all before. The movie also suffers from weak supporting characters, many who seem to only exist to make our main character miserable. These characters almost feel like over the top villains in a Saturday morning cartoon and this makes them feel a little too over the top for a movie that is supposed to be more realistic.
Despite its flaws, this is a very engaging and well-made sports film.
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