The story works generously from the lore of the Rocky movies and has a predictable ending. If you're too young to have seen the early Rocky movies, you might think this movie is wonderful. HBO did a lot of work to make the fights look good, but the punches are too slow to be confused with real, top level professional boxing.

The story is needlessly emotional for a sports movie. At moments it is a total tear jerker to the point where any redemption is a Pyrrhic victory at best. Jake Gyllenhaal did a lot to make this movie better than it should have been, a lesser actor in his role would have made this movie quite bad.