Common Sense Media Review
By Tara McNamara
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Drama about female boxer lacks punch; smoking, language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Uppercut
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In UPPERCUT, boxing manager Toni Williams (Luise Großmann) is preparing for a promising boxer's (Jordan E. Carter) important match. Toni reflects back to how her glass-ceiling-breaking career began under the tutelage of former champion Elliott Duffond (Ving Rhames), who taught her game-changing and life-altering lessons.
Is It Any Good?
Perhaps it was all lost in translation, but this remake of a German-language drama just doesn't work. Not that seasoned actor Rhames isn't giving it his all—whenever he's on camera, he mesmerizes. He is gravitas. But Großmann doesn't have the skill to carry this film. The stakes are too low for Toni for viewers to really understand her choices and her drive: Even Elliot suggests that growing up rich probably isn't enough to motivate her to go the distance as a boxer. And viewers are left in the dark about what happens in between Toni's origin story and her success as a manager; it's all so muddled that viewers are unlikely to want to take any more time to figure it out.
The film departs from standard sports-movie "playing with heart" themes to assert that innate talent is a key part of athletic success. It's rare to hear that kind of honesty in a sports film, but any positive messaging parents might want kids to absorb will probably be missed when they get restless due to the film's talky earnestness. And while writer-director Torsten Ruether—who also helmed the German original, which starred Großmann—undoubtedly has the best of intentions in creating a fictional story about an aspirational female character who makes it in a man's world, several moments of "men writing women" hit like a punch in the face.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the challenges women can face when trying to build a career in a field traditionally occupied by men. How are those challenges portrayed in Uppercut? What, if anything, do you think was left out?
Uppercut is a remake of the German movie Leberhaken. Do you think all stories are universal, or do you think adjustments need to be made to remake a film for another country or region?
Compare the differences in how Toni and Elliott exemplify perseverance. What does that word mean, and why is it an important life skill?
What does Elliott mean by his three-step approach to success: "Attitude, have-itude, and gratitude"? What other advice and guidance does he give Toni? Do you think it's more effective for a movie to have one main message, or the more messages, the better?
Movie Details
- In theaters : February 28, 2025
- On DVD or streaming : February 28, 2025
- Cast : Ving Rhames , Luise Großmann , Jordan E. Cooper
- Director : Torsten Ruether
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Lionsgate
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 104 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : language and brief sexual references
- Last updated : March 10, 2025
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