Review of Hands of Stone (2016) by Carlos G — 16 Mar 2017

"The life of boxing legend Roberto Duran could've been told more beautifully but the superficial "Hands of Stone" lacks the surreal punch to be a total knockout".

DVD Movie Review: Hands of Stone.

Date Viewed: January 7 2017.

Written and Directed By Jonathan Jakubowicz (Secuestro Express).

Starring: Edgar Ramirez, Robert De Niro, Usher, Oscar Jaenada, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Ana de Armas, John Turturro, Ellen Barkin, Pedro Perez and Ruben Blades.

This boxing picture has too much stones to carry. "Hands of Stone" tells the life story of an extraordinary Panamanian boxing legend but the movie doesn't know where to go with him. There are too many secondary characters and cliched subplots and the narrative arc is completely predictable. Edgar Ramirez is the perfect actor to play Roberto Duran but in this movie he comes off as a spoiled brat instead of a compelling boxing legend. Despite the movie's many flaws, at least Robert De Niro is back in his comfort place.

After doing the reprehensible and career-tarnishing "Dirty Grandpa", De Niro journeyed back to his "Raging Bull" territory to play Duran's trainer Ray Arcel. Nobody gives a bad performance here but writer and director Jonathan Jakubowicz's film could've been more striking and truthful. "Hands of Stone" centers around of course Roberto Duran who started his professional sport back when he was only 16-years-old in 1968. During his childhood, he was educated through homeschooling by his mentor Chaflan (Oscar Jaenada) and he stole peaches through various grocery markets and he gave them to his family. At just 16, Duran started his boxing career and he also met the woman of his dreams, a young student named Felicidad (Ana de Armas).

As the 70s came and went, Duran became an instant boxing legend and he and Felicidad became the parents of five children. In June of 1980, he challenged American fighter Sugar Ray Leonard (Usher) to a fight but before their big fight, he calls him as a clown and an imitator of Muhammad Ali and he also insults Sugar's wife, Juanita (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) in front of him which makes him really angry.

Duran did those insults on purpose just because he still felt insulted when American soldiers taking over the country by having complete control of the Panama Canal. Duran and Leonard's big showdown takes place in Montreal, Quebec and they fight for the WBC welterweight title. After having narrowly defeating Sugar Ray Leonard, Duran comes out as victorious but Leonard states that being insulted by Duran was part of a strategy so he calls for a rematch.

During their November rematch, Duran starts to lose his cool and confidence so he shocks the people of Panama by giving up and saying "No mas" (meaning no more) so Leonard has an easy victory and Duran loses in disgrace. Eventually, Duran does have his big comeback at the end but the movie struggles to save itself from an overcrowded story structure.

De Niro's Ray Arcel is the only interesting character in "Hands of Stone" because his life story is told much better than Duran's. In 1953, a single hit job from mob boss Frankie Carbo (John Turturro) nearly costed him his life. He lives peacefully with his wife (Ellen Barkin) but he must never earn a penny from boxing again, that's part of his deal he struck with Frankie after he failed to kill him. Arcel came to back into the boxing world as Duran's trainer but he didn't earn a salary.

The life of boxing legend Roberto Duran could've been told more beautifully but the superficial "Hands of Stone" lacks the surreal punch to be a total knockout.