I was suprised how much i loved this movie. If you are a MMA fan or just a sports fan I strongly recommend this film. It's got a semi clever plot, great cast, great fight choreography and a good message behind it. It has some small plot holes but aside from that it's worth watching.

Great movie. People upset about the cliches act like they don't exist for a reason. It's a little over the top and the fighting scenes have too many cuts but this is the most moving film I've watched in a very long time. Reminds me of the fighter.

Much better than I expected, even with the Connor McGregor + Floyd Mayweather caricature lead excellently played by Dorff, a family drama at the core, overloaded with toxic masculinity and dysfunction. A genuinely good film.

3 out of 5 stars. Strong family sports drama about abuse and overcoming it. Strong family drama. Performances. But boring and dull direction. It does lead to a strong showdown climax.

Starts out with a lot of stereotypes and cliches and, while it does keep those up throughout, the story it tells is somewhat original but not one I'm all that interested in. I mean... the central character is not someone anyone should want to see win and the outcome of the fight does not matter since he gets the big spotlight and payday anyways. Still, as juvenile as the premise was, it did make me a little bit curious to see how it ends. At least it doesn't glorify MMA as the ‘end all, be all' to life, the universe, and everything in between like every other movie on the subject.

Great flick seen it twice now, and it's just as good the second time. Way above that 70% fresh rating

Didn't expect much of this movie, fights are almost realistic (kinda fell that punches are not real). Story is pretty classic. Final fight was intense, especially the end.

I thought it was a really good movie and it showed that Stephen Dorffs character wasn't the horrible abusive father to Jett always. He played a very believable bad guy. I really liked the ending showing what was important.

That was a really good movie.

So I see this interview with Stephen Dorff and he says Scarlet Johannsen should be embarrassed to star in Black Widow, as if he's some sort of upper crust arthouse film regular. Look, I'm no Marvel Fanboy, but Dorff has no business being critical of anybody after making this pile of steaming poo. The movie is a mashup of Rocky and the Great Santini. All the clichés are there, from the domestic abuse, to the drinking, to the flashback father-son moments to the slow motion fight scenes. Toss in a disabled kid for a human touch and a cardboard cutout of a (sort-of) girlfriend. All of it pretty stinky and predictable. Wasn't Dorff in a Vampire superhero movie himself? and it's not like he's been hanging out on Broadway honing his craft and collecting Tony Awards. So, if you want to see a low-budget, thoughtful, well-acted MMA movie, check out Redbelt. Otherwise, skip this dreck and rent Black Widow.

It's taking back the pieces of yourself they kept when they broke you !! And when all said and done we are reborn and we see us as we are. We can then read the pain and story behind. For me that's the biggest victory Boykins Jr achieve. This movie deserves praise for touching on so many valuable sensitive topics at once. Clever cinematography will surely make your heart feel heavy.

Stephen Dorff does a fantastic job of portraying an MMA egomaniac who's cruel to everyone around him. Darren Mann, whom I've never seen before, also does a great job. The movie is gut wrenching and fast paced. Fight scenes are very realistic. Ending is hard to watch but worth hanging in there. I especially enjoyed the downs syndrome, little brother story line. I'd definitely recommend it especially if you like UFC or MMA type fighting.

A film that throws all the punches 👊 and then some! Well, this film was not what I was expecting - and that's a good thing. Firstly, outstanding casting and performances, especially Darren Mann, and, I'd say an Oscar worthy performance by Stephen Dorff who channeled his inner Conor McGregor, and a drunk deadbeat father and ex, like a champ. At the start, I was a little lost in the story and it's characters. But then came to realize that even without the MMA storyline, this would've still been an outstanding film about a single mom due to an abusive past relationship, raising her kids on her own - one being in the autistic spectrum. Then add the story of her eldest son who's been manifesting the abusive past relationship with his father. Now how do we mix in some action into this story MMA style? Behold, Embattled. This is writer David McKenna's only 11th writing credit, and he nailed it like a seasoned screenwriter. This film is a different kind of fighter story, one where the consequences of the fight are more important than the win-loss records of its fighters. It's an unforgettable family dynamics drama, that merely uses MMA as a jumping off point to far more interesting realms about emotional catharsis, both for the characters and for the viewer. The emotional heft of this story makes this one of the best sports films I've seen in a long time. The cinematography was great and the score very fitting. The 117 min runtime felt a little long with the sometimes slow pacing, and I felt there were a little too many slow-mo shots. But considering this is amateur director Nick Sarkisov's 2nd ever dabble in filmmaking as producer and director, I'm going to be forgiving, because his directing otherwise, was on par with seasoned filmmakers, and for that, mad props and respect. I can finally say during these times of isolation, this is a must-see film, and I will certainly be watching it again. It's a well deserved 9/10 from me.

Embattled (2020) is an IFC Films release using the backdrop of the world of Professional Mixed Martial Arts to contrast the lives and moral fiber of two Professional MMA fighters who are father and son. While Stephen Dorf is the central focus of the film and the catalyst for much of the drama, it is Darren Mann, playing Dorf's eldest son, that is the real star. Mann gives a compelling and endearing performance as a son trying to break a legacy of dysfunction and domestic abuse while confronting his very conflicted feelings about his father, an MMA legend. There are many films, martial arts and otherwise, where the star is a complex anti-hero. In these films the flawed main character has certain qualities that make the audience sympathetic, despite his many shortcomings. Dorf's character lacks any such redemptive characteristics. This is not to knock the actor's performance, which is always gritty and engaging; however, the character is simply a misogynistic, homophobic, child abusing bully that is easy to route against. The elder Boykins is easy to hate. The film is engaging and disturbing, all at the same time. I found the complexity and the humanity of both, Elizabeth Reaser and Karrueche Tran's, performances to be some of the highlights of the film. It would have been easy to have Tran's character portrayed as the two dimensional, trophy wife, but her heartfelt performance may serve as the conscience of the film. Dorf's physique and physical condition has been the subject of much discussion. He looks the part, both in and out of the cage. The film's fight scenes are decent, although largely reserved for the last 30 minutes of the film. The film is littered with familiar faces from the world of MMA. While this film is not of the caliber of Tom Hardy's Warrior (2012), it is worth checking out. Available in theaters and digital formats Production companies: Wild League Productions, La Costa Productions, Blitz Films Distributor: IFC Films Cast: Stephen Dorff, Darren Mann, Colin McKenna, Karrueche Tran, Donald Faison, Ava Capri, Said Taghmaoui, Elizabeth Reaser, Leopold Manswell, Mimi Davila Director: Nick Sarkisov Screenwriter: David McKenna Producers: Eryl Cochran, Scott LaStaiti, Sergey Sarkisov Executive producers: Nick Sarkisov, Frank Ragen, Stephen Dorff, Colleen Camp, Rhys Coiro Director of photography: Paul Ozgur Production designer: Michael T. Perry Editor: Mark Sanger Composer: Michael Brook Costume designer: Megan Spatz Casting: Samy Burch 117 min. –by Marc Zirogiannis, November 24, 2020 (NYC)

Hmm. It's ok to murder your disabled child and and beat up your wife as long as you make money....at least that is what I got from this movie.

A must-see film: Rocky meets American History X in the best way! Solid writing, great cast, stay-with-you visuals make this a film to watch today!

The moral victory wasn't enough to save this movies ending.

An attempt at a Rocky film for a new generation - and well written and acted. Big time fighter (with his big time ego and crap) has (another) falling out with his son (also a fighter). They face off in a cage fight that's more about breaking family cycles and abuse than it is about winning.

Such a good film! A must watch, especially if you're into MMA! Reckon it's even better than Never Back Down!!🙌💪

It was a good movie. The end could have used a little better wrap up. Because I doubt they make a part 2. I hope I'm wrong and they do.