MOVIE REVIEW-CHUCK

I saw the movie "Chuck" over the weekend. Here is my review...

** 1/2 stars (out of 4)

"Chuck" is the story about ex-boxer Chuck Wepner, otherwise known as the "Bayonne Bleeder." It follow his career through the 70s as a club brawler who was the "real Rocky" after he almost went the distance with Muhammad Ali in 1975.  The movie chronicles his downward spiral after his brief moment of fame, as Chuck cheated on wife, did a lot of drugs, ended up in prison, among other transgressions.

It's more than a mere boxing movie. It's about his ups and downs and how Wepner ultimately became a good guy and turned his life around.

The title role is played by Liev Schiber and he does a good job, as do the entire cast. The actor who plays Sylvester Stallone is spot on in looks and his voice.

After Chuck's bout with Ali ( he didn't get a rematch, which is not explained), Chuck returned to fighting bums like himself, Andre the Giant and Victor the bear. He almost become a parody of himself, a sideshow freak, people attending his fights to see him get beat up and bleed like they attend the car races to see accidents.

The story does draw you in, but instead of feeling sorry for Chuck, I felt like he got what was coming to him. He found another love after his divorce, but he screwed-up a really caring wife and daughter in the first place. He took drugs and even worse, sold drugs and he deserved his prison time. He probably deserved even more, but in the end, his spirit was broken, especially after his long-lost brother, who secretly followed his career with passion, expressed his bitter disappointment in Chuck for letting him down.

I expected more form the ending , as I was left with a feeling of "Is that all there is?" I'm glad the real Chuck has found contentment in his life. It was good to see him do interviews recently to promote the movie. Check out the interview below with my nephew Smitty from Bar Stool Sports.

https://bars.tl/Vu6u/bnelbeKWTC

So, the acting was good, the characters rich and full, and the dialogue true. The film clips of previous bouts and the 70s scene brought back memories. A good movie, if not a great one. Still, I felt something was missing.

Note: I saw the film on a Sunday morning. There was only one other person in the theater at King of Prussia. Granted, it was a Sunday morning and it was Mother's Day. I don't think this movie will do well, and you'll probably see it sooner than later on cable and DVD. yet it was a welcome change from all the comic book, smash-em-up movies currently in theaters. A story more about feelings than fighting

Not for kids. Strong language and subject matter.