Review of Peaceful Warrior (2006) by Daniel T — 05 May 2008

"Based on a True Story". Perhaps without that message I would've liked the movie more, but because of it I was expecting something wholeheartedly believable. That's not to say that the emotional recovery of a young gymnast from an injury that would force most into wheelchairs is unrealistic, but many of the visions and things that occur along the way are.

When a person falls out of the sky and onto the ground due to a vision, it is a hard story to buy. The movie is also somewhat long (two hours and one minute), made apparent by the very slow, boring first half.

The action picks up with the last hour, though, and it is during this time that you might actually enjoy what you are watching, mainly because the main character goes from an unlikable jackass to a likeable one.

If you can get past the faults of the movie (like the inclusion of a somewhat useless character in Joy), it's really not half bad and the tale it tells is heart-warming. You just have to survive the first hour (which may be worth it, thanks to Nick Nolte and his great acting).