Manny (2014) Jinkee Pacquiao vs Liam Neeson

 

At the end of the day, when all the die-hard fans have had their say, this film will be remembered mainly for introducing Manny to a wider audience.

Which, to be clear, is a very good thing.

I have seen a lot of boxing films, and attended a number of live fights. I do believe that Manny by his very example has added a new chapter to the history of the sport. His speed, power, accuracy, and ability to throw at angles that would mystify even a geometry teacher -- these are awesome skills to behold. And his willingness to move outside his weight class, time after time, bespeaks a heart bigger than Wyoming. If not for this film, I would never have seen all this, and for that I thank the film makers.

Which leaves the topic of the film itself. First, what is the yardstick? If you do the research you will find that more feature films (bipic and documentary) have been done on Ali than any other boxer. Fortunately for this review, I have seen them all.

How does Manny compare, as a film? Not very well, I am afraid. It wanders and it lacks focus.

If Manny boxed like the director of this film directed, he would have knocked out while still a teenager.

In fairness, with Ali, there was a natural story arc in the way the entire world gave up on him going into the Foreman fight, and Manny's story lacks that central theme.

That said, it is still a weakish film.

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