'Southpaw' Movie Review

If you know anything at all about the movie going into Southpaw, you know precisely what you’re going to see. This is a paint-by-numbers redemptive sports saga from the opening scene, and though star Jake Gyllenhaal gives yet another fantastic performance as boxer Billy Hope (yes, the protagonist’s name is Billy Hope in case you were expecting any subtlety at all), a pugilist bruised both physically and emotionally, he can’t elevate the rote story.

Watch Jake Gyllenhaal Train To Kick Your Ass In This 'Southpaw' Video

So far, early reviews on Jake Gyllenhaal’s boxing drama Southpaw have been mixed, but I tend to like both movies where the on-a-roll actor goes through an intense physical transformation (Nightcrawler) and the rather workmanlike films of director Antoine Fuqua (The Equalizer), so I’m totally game. Check out this featurette of just how far both men went to make sure the in-the-ring action looks legit.