Review of Million Dollar Baby (2004) by Alye. — 21 Aug 2005

Simply put, this movie was just not good. I was so excited when it came out on DVD because I felt left out during the Oscars. Now that I've seen it, I think people say it's good because the "right" people say it's good (Hollywood is, after all, an industry of followers who can't form their own opinions).

But the "right" people have been wrong about a lot lately (Aviator, Sideways, etc.). None of the actors had any depth, the story was too long, and the plot was both unbelievable and predictable.

The writers didn't develop the B-line at all (Frank's alienation from his daughter) and Maggie's family was just too exaggerated to be believed. Actually, the only likeable character in the movie was Dangerous! I tried to convince myself that the movie was good-- that perhaps I was just distracted or apathetic-- but turns out, my gut instinct was right: Million Dollar Baby is another Hollywood miss that got backed by the right people because of Clint Eastwood.