The Way Back (2020, R, 1h 48m)

The movie starts off with the viewers meeting the main character in Jack Cunningham. Jack seems very depressed sad does not look happy, Jack is also portrayed as an alcoholic who uses alcohol as his escape to life. Jack then gets a call from old his high school the next day as they want to meet with him. Jack goes to the meeting, and we learn Jack is being offered a position to be the head coach of the school’s basketball team as the old coach had to step down due to an emergency. Jack, a bit reluctant, accepts this offer. We also learn Jack was an amazing basketball player in high school and was the best player in the school’s history. Jack meets the team as well as the assistant coach. The team is a group of misfit players who don’t have any basketball fundamentals and no discipline. Jack gets to work on the team and sees a lot of potential in one of the players named Brandon. Brandon is definitely the most talented player on the team but doesn’t have the voice needed to be a leader or captain. The team struggles in their first few games but eventually starts improving. Jack puts a big emphasis on the team to do all the little things right and eventually the team starts to turn it around. Jack also makes Brandon the captain of the team and really encourages him to step up and use his voice. The team starts having more success but still might not qualify for the playoffs due to their bad start. It comes down to the final game where if they win, they make the playoffs. At this point Jack has pretty much turned his life around as he has stopped going to bars and drinking and is now being praised for the job he has done with the team. The game comes down to the wire as they have one play left to win the game, Jack changes the play at the last second and tells Brandon to take the final shot. Brandon obeys and ends up making the shot and winning the game! While the team is getting ready for their playoff game Jack unfortunately goes back to his old ways and starts to drink again. Jack received a warning for having alcohol in his office and then starts sneaking alcohol in his water bottle. Jack’s problem had gotten so bad that he ended up oversleeping and subsequently was late for practice due to him being at a bar the previous night. When Jack finally arrives, he was a complete mess. Jack ended up getting fired much to his dismay. We then see the team at their playoff game with Brandon being a loud and vocal leader. The announcers also note that Jack is not with the team but do praise him for his work. The ending of the movie shows Jack playing basketball on an empty court. This was a great movie and very well produced. I also think Ben Afflack did a great job in the role of Jack. I would definitely recommend this movie to sports fans who have not seen it.

Creed II (2018)

The movie starts off with Adonis beating his rival Wheeler for the world heavyweight championship and we learn Adonis has grown a lot for the better since his fight with Ricky Holland. His win against Wheeler also gets Adonis redemption from a training session they had in Creed 1 where Adonis lost his car in a bet. Adonis’s life seems to be more relaxed as he and Bianca seem to be doing well from all the events that happened in Creed 1. We then learn that Viktor Drago (son of Ivan Drago), has come to Adonis’s town of Philadelphia to challenge Adonis for his newly won world championship. Vicktor’s dad Ivan is the man who killed Adonis’s dad Apollo in the boxing ring. Adonis wants to accept the challenge but Rocky, Bianca, and his mom tell him not to as they fear Adonis will have similar faith as Apollo. Adonis understands this but wants to get redemption for his dad and doesn’t want to seem scared as he is the champion. Adonis accepts the challenge much to everyone’s dismay and Rocky also refuses to help train Adonis for the fight. Adonis trains without Rocky and gets ready for the match to his best ability. The fight comes and Drago destroys Adonis and really overpowers him. Drago would’ve won the fight and championship if he hadn’t hit Adonis when he was already down on the mat. Although Adonis didn’t lose his championship, he was badly injured, and Drago sent a clear message in the process. Part of Drago’s intention/motivation is for redeeming the Drago name as we learn Ivan Drago lost everything after he lost to Rocky, including his wife. Adonis gets offered some small fights to get him back into ring shape and so he can get his confidence back, but Adonis declines. It comes to the point where Adonis needs to schedule a fight, so he is not forced to vacate his championship and he decides he wants to fight Drago again! Rocky agrees to help train him this time and the two get to work. Adonis goes on a very grueling training session and during the process, we learn Bianca is pregnant and Adonis will be a father. Adonis continues to train and at the end of his training he feels confident and at the top of his game. Fight night arrives and Adonis looks much more comfortable in the ring with Drago and the fight is very even throughout. The two trade blows both knocking each other down at different points. Adonis starts taking control of the fight and Drago is the one who starts to struggle and keep up, Ivan eventually throws in the towel to keep his son from receiving a further beating. Adonis is thrilled and so is Rocky and Bianca. Adonis shares a moment with Viktor after the fight in the dressing room saying that one fight does not define him and the two seem to have mutual respect. The movie ends with Adonis, Bianca, and their child going to visit the grave of Apollo, and Rocky finally going to visit his son Robert and meeting his grandson in the process. Overall, I thought this movie was great in achieving the goal of Adonis getting redemption for his dad while also reintroducing Ivan Drago back into the series. I also love how the audience is able to learn what happened to Drago after his loss to Rocky and the audience is even able to feel some sympathy for him. Overall, I would suggest this movie to any fan of Rocky IV as I thought it was a great movie all around. 

The Karate Kid (1984, PG, 2h 6m)

The movie starts off with a boy and his mom going to their new home in California. The mom seems more excited than the boy but they both seem to be trying to make the best of the situation. The mom encourages the boy (Daniel) to go and try to find some other kids and make friends. Daniel meets some boys living in the same building and they end up going to the beach together and playing soccer. They end up playing until night when they see a group of girls and Daniel is interested in one of them. Daniel starts to talk to one of them but all of a sudden, a huge group of guys shows up, one of them the ex-boyfriend of the girl (Ali) Daniel is talking to. The guy (Johnny) shoves Daniel to the ground and starts harassing the girl. Daniel tries to defend Ali, but Johny beats him up and leaves him lying there, everyone leaves Daniel, and we see a scene of Daniel by himself bloodied on the beach. When Daniel goes back home his mom sees his injuries and she is not pleased. It is revealed that Johnny and the other boys from that night are on a prestigious Karate team. Daniel realizes this and knows he has no chance of sticking up for himself. Daniel and his mom also meet one of their neighbors downstairs who is a guy named Mr. Miyagi. Daniel is interested in his plants and the way he trims them. Daniel and Mr. Miyagi become friends over time. One night when Daniel is going to take out the trash he gets jumped by Johnny and his friends but then Mr. Miyagi comes to Daniel’s defense and beats up all 3 of Johnny and his friends by himself! Daniel is shocked by this and asks Mr. Miyagi to help train him in karate which Mr. Miyagi agrees to. Mr. Miyagi trains Daniel with very weird and unorthodox methods and after time Daniel doesn’t think these methods are working but then Mr. Miyagi proves to him, they are. Daniel trains and his goal is to beat Johnny in a karate tournament but Johnny trains at the best and most prestigious karate school in town, so the odds are definitely against Daniel. While Daniel was training, he and Ali become close and eventually start dating, much to his dismay of Johnny. The tournament day comes and at first, Daniel struggles but manages to win his matches and advances all the way to the finals, where he faces Johnny. It’s a very tough match between the two with Daniel getting an early lead. Johnny has a comeback though and hits Daniel with a cheap shot (with his instructor telling him to do so) and injures Daniel very badly in the process. The match comes down to the wire and Daniel uses a move Mr. Miyagi showed him that is impossible to defend but VERY hard to execute properly. Daniel executes the move perfectly and wins the match and the whole tournament. Daniel gets lifted up and praised by everyone and even Johnny shows him respect for his effort. Overall, I was a big fan of this movie as it showed a new kid who originally gets bullied but then sticks up to the bullies and beats them at their own game. I would recommend this movie to fans of cinema.