The reference to the Sylvester Stallone film Rocky (1976) is obvious. The opening literally takes place in the same city where we see the protagonist heading up the so-called Rocky Steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The film references Rocky, but it doesn't seem to have learned the lesson of Rocky. That Stallone, Oscar winner was about a contact sport, but it ended with the message that it didn't matter whether one wins or losses. When making a sports drama, it often comes down to a final event where the protagonist competes, and is either victorious or not. The question then becomes, "So what?" There has to be more going on.
Like Rocky, most sports dramas are about persevering despite the odds or the deck being stacked against the athlete in question. Of course, depending on how it's depicted, perseverance can be inspiring and rousing. Based on the book by Anthony Robles, this film tells the ultimate story of a young man who had to overcome so many obstacles. On paper, what happened is inspiring. On paper though, it can also feel like a pile-up of cliches. It's like every obstacle he could face, he does face. Though it may all be true, it feels as if the filmmakers are throwing everything at their protagonist in a desperate attempt at excitement. Yet, all of it gets short shrift, as they try to pack it all in, so none of it gets any amount of depth to have any real impact.
Jharrel Jerome (When They See Us and Moonlight) stars as Anthony Robles, a young man in Mesa, Arizona. He was born with only one leg, but it didn't stop him from becoming a wrestler and pursuing an athletic scholarship in 2007. Robles is a real person born with one leg. Jerome is an actor born with two. When we see Jerome in this film, he looks as though he has only one leg. CGI and visual effects were probably used, but the scenes, especially of wrestling, look absolutely real in terms of the person on the mat looking as if he only has one leg. That helps to sell those sequences. What's revealed is that the real-life Robles is the body double and stuntman for Jerome. Essentially, Robles is playing himself. Robles handles the physical stuff, while Jerome handles the emotional stuff.
Jerome is a great actor, but the filmmakers throw everything except the kitchen sink at him. It's so much that none of it can really register with much depth of feeling. It's like this happens, and then this happens, and this happens, and then this. It can feel like the film is checking off boxes. A major obstacle and focus are Anthony's abusive stepfather, played by Bobby Cannavale (Will & Grace and Boardwalk Empire) who was also in another teen wrestling film Win Win (2011). In real-life, Robles is Afro-Latino. His stepfather was just a non-Black Latino, and reportedly his stepfather's abuse toward Robles stemmed from some racism. Yet, the film doesn't touch upon that.
Jennifer Lopez (Hustlers and Out of Sight) co-stars as Judy Robles, the mother to Anthony. She never mentions Anthony's African-American father or what happened to him. She's stuck in an abusive relationship with Cannavale's character. There's hinting about her past and what she experienced that made her vulnerable and susceptible. However, the film only hints at it. Only gives it short shrift or superficial treatment. There are others in Anthony's life who also get superficial treatment. His high school coach, played by Michael Peña (Ant-Man and Crash), barely gets any lines or much of a character.
Don Cheadle (Crash and Out of Sight) rounds out the cast as Shawn Charles, the coach that works with Anthony when he comes to his university. Cheadle provides a great presence, as he usually does, and gravitas despite superficial treatment as well. However, there's not much given to him as a coach on the collegiate level. It would seem like a man with one leg would have to fight differently or develop a unique style, but the film doesn't go into it. How Shawn coaches Anthony isn't explored because having an athlete with only one leg would need different or unique training. Perhaps the point is that Anthony's training isn't different or unique. Yes, disabled people often want to be treated like everyone else and not differently but analyzing Robles' abilities or techniques isn't a bad thing, and perhaps should be the point here.
Lastly, I will say that this film reminded me of another film about a wrestler who had no legs. The Netflix documentary Zion (2018) was even more incredible. Robles had one leg, but the subject of that 2018 short film had no legs at all. That film accomplishes the inspiring and rousing, emotional story better than this one. It's only a short film, but it also does a better job of delving into its titular subject better than this one does in terms of insight.
Rated PG-13 for some strong language.
Running Time: 2 hrs. and 4 mins.
Available on Amazon Prime.