Invincible*

* This is a critical competition between two reviews. Use the comments! State your preference and discuss with other readers.

"Invincible"

Starring Mark Wahlberg, Greg Kinnear and Elizabeth Banks

Rated PG for some mild, crude humor

By Miles Moffit

Nobody ever said a motivational tale had to be perfect. While "Invincible" may not be the best football film of all time, it tells a story that is sure to take your breath away in the end.

The story is loosely based on real events surrounding Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Vince Papale, who became the NFL's oldest rookie at 30 years old in 1976. The opening of the film places the Eagles in a long losing streak, and in an effort to save the team's reputation, new coach Dick Vermeil (a rock-solid performance by Greg Kinnear) holds open tryouts to pacify fans and garner momentum.

Papale is played by Mark Wahlberg, who, after he is persuaded to attend the tryouts, is met with the daunting task of transforming into a believable football player. While he succeeds admirably, along with the rest of the movie's cast of players, Wahlberg's portrayal of Papale as a down-on-his-luck Philly bartender hangs heavily on circumstance.

For instance, there is an early scene that calls for an outburst of anger, and instead of conveying the weight of his rage, his tantrum feels wooden and unemotional. With moments like these, the film seems to assume you're going feel sorry for him, but neither the script nor Wahlberg's performance provide the character with the necessary depth, and that's a shame. A little more time spent with the character of Papale could have made this movie truly great.

Good news is that the film does provide ample, capable support to make the whole package work. Papale is surrounded by a troop of loyal Eagles fans that frequent the bar where he works. This atmosphere of brotherhood and familial love provides both Vince and the audience with the uplifting moments of determination needed to stick with the game.

The most prominent member of the group is the requisite love interest Janet (Elizabeth Banks), a beautiful co-worker of Papale's who has fallen into the same lot of luck, at least as far as love is concerned. Unfortunately, her character waits until the last fifteen minutes of the movie to truly stand out by any means other than her appearance. Like Wahlberg's Papale, while Janet is not unlikable, it takes a while to find out that she really is worth the attention.

But hey, of course the two hit it off, and of course it's going to make you smile whether or not their characters are fully rounded. Development aside, the film is still a powerfully encouraging experience. There are moments of disappointment, but this is not a story that is meant to discourage, so such moments aren't given much emphasis.

It is in this matter that the movie succeeds as a whole. You may well feel that it reaches too high for those inspirational moments at times, but by reel's end, it delivers whole-heartedly.
The moral of any story where the ordinary becomes extraordinary is that you don't have to be perfect to do something great.

"Invincible" has its faults, but it'll have everyone leaving the theater smiling.

By Becky Howell

Mark Wahlberg is back in yet another underdog story as Vince Papale, the 30-year-old Philadelphia native who tried out for the Eagles football team in 1976 and made it. Walt Disney Picture’s “Invincible” tells the true story of Papale, a man barely scraping by in the 70s. “Invincible” begins with a long montage illustrating that times are tough in Philly with many men out of work and others going on strike. The film then cuts to the Eagles’ stadium, where boos and catcalls are heard as Vince and his raucous friends attend a game that their favorite team is losing—badly.

One night, after losing one of his part-time jobs, Vince comes home to find his wife gone and a note that would make even the toughest NFL player cry. While Vince picks up extra hours at his bartending job, Dick Vermeil, the new Eagles’ coach (Greg Kinnear), holds a press conference announcing that he will be holding open tryouts. At a friend’s insistence, Vince tries out for the team and makes it—but just barely. Now Vince has to prove his worth to himself, the city and to the other players. He is the hero of the everyman in Philadelphia, and the whole city looks to him for inspiration to keep its spirits up through the hard times.

Doesn’t this seem slightly familiar? Why, yes it does. Wahlberg, swaggering everywhere he goes, played almost the same character in “Rockstar,” but with longer hair and even worse clothes. As Papale, Wahlberg is soft-spoken, unemotional and subdued but easy on the eyes. In a scene after Vince’s wife has left, Wahlberg half-heartedly beats a chair against the wall. Though not the greatest actor in the movie, Wahlberg has come a long way from rapping as Marky Mark and early movies such as “Fear” and “The Big Hit.”

Greg Kinnear, still wearing his short shorts from his role in “The Bad News Bears,” is very likable as the coach who gives Vince a chance. Kinnear is the highlight of the film, even though he doesn’t have enough scenes to work with for his role to be outstanding. Elizabeth Banks, a less talented version of Rachel McAdams, plays Janet Cantrell, Vince’s romantic interest, and (gasp!), a Giants fan. The rest of the big supporting cast are characters that aren’t too memorable.

Overall, “Invincible” is “Rudy” meets “Remember the Titans:” plenty of heart and loads of grueling practice. It’s the classic football movie equation: bad team plus new coach plus discord among the team eventually equals success. The musical score guides the emotional scenes, giving the audience audible clues on how it should feel. Without this cheesy music, many of the emotional scenes would fall flat.

So far, “Invincible” has made over $45 million at the box office. Though this movie will never win an Oscar, the script can be entertaining and heartwarming at moments. Often slow-paced, the movie lags, but jokes laced throughout keep the audience interested. If you like football history and long training montages shot in slow motion, this is your movie. If not, go to look at Marky Mark in his football gear.