The sport’s biopic formula is on full display in UNSTOPPABLE. However, none of this stops it from being a crowd-pleasing story that should win the hearts and minds of audiences seeking it out. The film follows the one-legged Anthony Robles (Jharrel Jerome), who overcomes all odds to forge a path in high school and college wrestling.
I love the sports biopic formula. I’m a sucker for FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, and THE IRON CLAW was #6 on my top ten films last year. Also, UNSTOPPABLE takes place in Arizona. So, while watching this film, I took a trip down memory lane, seeing mountains I used to hike and the ASU campus I saw football games at when I was a kid.
Despite that trip down memory lane and my passion for sports biopics, UNSTOPPABLE is about as serviceable as they come. Jharrel Jerome’s lead performance is the standout here, and it’s genuinely great to see his face, not just his voice, as Miles Morales. Jennifer Lopez is fine as his mother, and the coaching duties from Michael Peña, and Don Cheadle could’ve easily been pulled from any sports film and no one would’ve noticed. Sadly, Bobby Cannavale’s portrayal as Robles’s drunken parent keeps the film from shining. Every time he’s on the screen, his character feels too much like a cartoon villain from another movie. The checklist of male stereotypes is all there:
- Over-drinks
- Complains about work
- Threatens with violence
- Puts people down
If the filmmakers had made him more human like the rest of the cast, UNSTOPPABLE would’ve easily been elevated to a 🤩 review. As is, though, I can’t entirely recommend it, as Cannavale is out of place every time he’s on the screen.
Watching Robles “grind now and shine later” is inspiring. Seeing the passion and adversity that he and his mom overcome is the enjoyable crowd-pleaser audiences deserve for the holidays. But don’t say I didn’t warn you about the antagonist’s role in the film.
UNSTOPPABLE is playing in limited theatres now and will be on Prime Video in Jan ’25.
