You know that age old question " what came first? The chicken or the egg?", well this is a real conundrum on how Stallone may have got his inspiration for Rocky! Unlike Rocky however, this is a terrible film. I am not sure how they managed to rope in Winstone and Crowe but things must be very desperate in their schedules to take on the roles they did. The story is poorly told, the acting is awful and the overall look is just terrible. I'm sure the historical significance is an important part of boxing history in England BUT this was a movie that the makers should have thrown in the towel after the first round!

The film is okay, entertaining biographical film about the rise (and fall) of a young prizefighting boxer.

However, a few things don't line up with the real timeline. Jem never met his grandfather, he died before he was born. And the rules of boxing seem to be about 60 years younger than they were at this time. Also, whoever decided to put the saturation of the picture on this film to +10000% needs sacking.

Pretty good film, good story, some great acting - especially by Winstone - but it doesn't inspire you or evoke emotion like Cinderella Man. Still recommend it though.