The Reel Deal:
By Vince (Woody Harrelson) and Caesar (Antonio Banderas) are two best friends who get a chance to retur
The two hitch a ride from Caesar's "girlfriend" Grace (Lolita Davidovich) and they set out on a road trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. During the drive each boxer explains why he has gotten cheated in the past and why he deserves a title shot. When they finally reach Vegas, their friendship is put aside as they step into the ring and prepare to fight.
RYAN'S REVIEWThere were two problems with this movie. First, it was very predictable. Second, the final boxing match between the two men was redundant. Each time one of them got knocked down, he fell to the ground and then tried to get up while the camera filmed him in slow motion. The first couple of times were tolerable, but they got knocked down so much the effect was lost.
The best thing this movie has to offer is the friendship between Banderas and Harrelson. From the beginning of the movie they are good friends, but as the movie progresses, deeper layers of their friendship emerge. When the two get into an argument, they feed off each other's energy.
The story really doesn't matter that much in comedies, and I had a lot of fun watching this movie. It isn't great, but at least you'll have a good time watching it. B-
TARA'S TAKEThe boxing match between Harrelson and Banderas in Play it to the Bone is very intense. From the tough punches they throw to the hallucinations that result from their injuries, the guys are into their fighting. The problem is that it takes nearly 90 minutes to get to this point. The first 3/4 of the movie consists mainly of the fighters' road trip to Vegas. While this is entertaining at some parts and establishes the background of the characters, I thought it could have been cut down dramatically. Also, Lucy Liu's (Ally McBeal) role was completely pointless - she is on screen for about 20 minutes and does nothing to further the plot.
One funny character was Richard Masur, who plays Artie, a fight promoter with a Marlon Brando accent. I don't know why he talks the way he does, but I kept expecting him to cry out "I could have been a contender!" at any moment. After a while it began to seem unnecessary, and it was a good thing he wasn't a main character.
The most amusing scenes are when Vince and Caesar bicker with each other on the road trip to Vegas. Of course, they couldn't fight during the whole movie, or they would have nothing left for the ring. Even though the movie is pretty funny and the ending is very engaging, the story is predictable and it took too long to get to the ring. C+