Product Details

• Actors: Meg Ryan, Omar Epps, Charles S. Dutton, Tony Shalhoub, Tim Daly
• Directors: Charles S. Dutton
• Producers: Scarlett Lacey, Jonathan Pillot, Steven Roffer
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Paramount Pictures
• DVD Release Date: July 13, 2004
• Run Time: 111 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000228EHW
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #94,667 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Against the Ropes (Full Screen Edition)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

The "Rocky" formula nearly wears out its welcome in "Against the Ropes", a highly fictionalized feel-good drama based on the life of pioneering female boxing promoter Jackie Kallen. In an egregious effort to distill the essence of Kallen's achievement, director Charles S. Dutton (who fared better with HBO's "The Corner") has strictly played it safe, delivering a foregone conclusion almost from the very first scene. Burdened with a by-the-numbers screenplay by Cheryl Edwards ("Save the Last Dance"), the film gets a much-needed boost from Meg Ryan, playing Kallen as a brassy, smoky-voiced dynamo, rising to the challenge when a rival promoter (played with fierce bravado by Tony Shalhoub) dares her to play hardball in a male-dominated sport. Jackie's trump cards are Luther (Omar Epps), a promising contender with untried talent, and a once-legendary trainer (played by director Dutton) coaxed out of retirement to guide Luther to the middleweight championship. No surprises here, just a handful of energetic performances, an abundance of raw ambition, obligatory setbacks, and the nagging feeling that you've seen it all before. "--Jeff Shannon"

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great story, abrupt ending, July 24, 2004

By 

K. Stuckey "kateling" (Port Huron, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Against the Ropes (Widescreen Edition) (DVD)

This movie is a great story of how to fight for what you believe in and that success does not come easy. Based loosely on the true story of Jackie Callen, Meg Ryan is wonderful as a woman trying to break into the boys-club of boxing management. She grew up loving boxing and knows the sport inside out. After being mistreated and underappreciated by the men she works for in sports, she goes out on her own with a young thug named Luther (the fine Omar Epps) whom she thinks has potential. With help from some old friends of her late uncle (himself a pro boxer), she turns Luther into a winner. Along the way, the attention goes to Jackie's head and she starts to alienate those around her, including her fighter who then wants out of his contract with her.

Charles S. Dutton directed and plays trainer Felix, Tony Shahloub is Jackie's main adversary and Tim Daly is a local TV reporter and her romantic interest. It is a great movie, but I think the ending is kind of abrupt, Luther wins the title fight everyone thought he wasn't ready for, then he and Jackie hug and make up...did he get out of his contract? Did she hook up with the reporter? Meanwhile, the real Jackie Callen was married with two sons when she started in the business and was from Detroit, not Cleveland. The screenwriter took quite a bit of poetic license. It is still a good movie though, a great mix of comedy and drama.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Loved this movie!, October 6, 2004

By 

O. Brown "Ms. O. Khannah-Brown" (Twopeas, WA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Against the Ropes (Widescreen Edition) (DVD)

****
I really loved this movie. I read the other reviews (most of which were negative) and strongly disagree with them. I think Meg Ryan was wonderful, likewise Charles Dutton and the other actors. I am not a boxing fan. That doesn't matter. This movie is good entertainment. It is based on a true story of a female boxing manager who lets fame go to her head, makes some bad choices, and eventually...discovers what really matters. Men will love it (for the fight scenes, Meg Ryan, and the competition) and women will love it because it shows what women are capable of---anything---even in a man's world). Rent it or buy it---you won't be sorry. Great date movie.
****

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars RIveting and inspirational, July 15, 2004

By 

K. Corn "reviewer" (midwest, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Against the Ropes (Widescreen Edition) (DVD)

Grab this DVD as quickly as you can. Here's why:
1. It tells the true story of a woman, Jackie Kallen, who broke into the male-dominated boxing world. Very inspirational and Meg Ryan's performance is strong and solid.
2. There's an interview with the real Jackie Kallen and a behind the scenes look at how and why the movie was made.
3. The movie is gripping to watch and Kallen isn't portrayed as a stereotype or saint but as a very real (and flawed) person. In short, this isn't a "fluffy" movie but one that tries to be relatively honest (by Hollywood standards).
Very riveting, great fight scenes, strong perfromances - what more is there to say?