In Unstoppable, a one-legged athlete who is not Oscar Pistorius does his best to prove everyone wrong—that he can compete among the very best—and overcome the miserably generic movie title bestowed upon him. What we get is an enjoyable if stereotypical sports drama that checks most of the right boxes.
One of Unstoppable’s biggest issues—aside from its title (which worked for Denzel Washington, Chris Pine, and a train but less so here)—is that not only do most people not care about wrestling, it’s not the most intuitive of sports to be captured in movie form. I don’t love boxing, but in boxing movies I generally know that when one dude is beating the shit out of another dude, you know who is winning. Hockey, baseball, football… you always know who is winning.
In wresting, the guy on the bottom may be in the best position to win, but maybe they are just in romantic embrace?
That aside, Unstoppable tells an uplifting underdog story—even if it’s mostly things we’ve seen before. There’s the protagonist with the odds stacked against him. His mom (played by Jennifer Lopez) struggles to make ends meet, especially when her PoS husband leaves her. His coach (Don Cheadle) underestimates him. Instead of getting a full ride, he has to pay his way through college.
Jharrel Jerome does a fine job as the determined Anthony Robles, who in real life would go onto win the NCAA championship. He carries the film well. Lopez is also good in a supporting role, even if she is relegated to the “supportive parent” caricature.
Not to discount the true story, but there is nothing original at play in Unstoppable. And yet the underdog sports drama has a tried-and-true formula that, when done well, can pay dividends. Even then, Unstoppable doesn’t rise into the upper echelon of great sports movies—but still emerges victorious.
Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.