American Underdog - Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

American Underdog



Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:


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Movie
Everyone loves a good underdog story. It’s the innate desire in us to see someone who isn’t a superstar from birth make it. It gives us hope that someday WE can do something awe inspiring, as well as just plain exhilarating to be surprised at watching the dark horse pull out in front. I can’t fully explain it, but even people who aren’t fans of said underdog will root for him simply because of his underdog status. And what what area of the world to be an underdog in than American football. I remember being a 17 and 18 year old during Kurt Warner’s rise to fame. He was a nobody that came out of left field, simply destroying Joe Montana’s passing record in what seemed like no time, eventually taking them to the January 2000 Superbowl where I watched Warner nail touchdowns like they were going out of style against the desperate Titans. I watched barely weeks before my 18th birthday as one of the oldest rookie quarterback’s ever won MVP, and made world wide acclaim when he gave the honor and the glory to his God on national television during his victory speech. It was an amazing night for a 17 year old kid, so you can be sure that I was EAGER as all get out to watch American Underdog when it was announced. Doubly eager when I found that it was Zachary Levi in the starring role (actually chewing my way through Chuck for the umpteenth time this month actually).

Andrew and Jon Ewin’s family drama about a sports star (I’d say the movie is less a “sports movie”, but really a family movie about a sports hero’s dream) is sweet, kind, and very much a family film at its core. Being that both Brenda (Anna Paquin here in the film) and Kurt (Zachary Levi) were both devout Christians, this easily could have been just another religious feel good movie. However, the sibling directors decided to soften the edges just a bit, and make a good heartfelt movie ABOUT two Christians, rather than make it a “Christian movie” (those of us who watch religious movies will instantly know what I’m talking about when I say “Christian movie”).

We get to see back to a young Kurt Warner, who is barely on the field during his college days, as Coach Allen (Adam Baldwin, also starring with Levi back in Chuck days) won’t let him play. Begging his coach for that one shot that will allow him to HOPEFULLY get snagged by a scout, Warner actually gets the shot he needs. However, his life takes a dramatic turn when he meets and falls in love with a single mother of two by the name of Brenda. Brenda is smitten with Warner as much as he is with her, but he’s been burnt by a divorce already, and wants to make sure that her children are first, rather than fall head over heels for a sports star that will end up ditching them. However, their love proves to be more than simple romance, and the two of them hold each other up as Kurt strives to make his football dreams come true. After getting cut from the Green Bay Packers after a whopping single day, Kurt is forced to stock shelves at the local Hyvee grocery story to keep him, Brenda, and her two children fed.

Hope comes to those who persevere, and Kurt finds that hope in the unlikeliest of places. The barely formed AFL (Arena football League, which actually disbanded just 3 years ago in 2019 after over 30 years of entertainment), a high speed indoor variation of football that starred aging and dropout football stars in what was almost a circus version of football. After 3 years playing for the Iowa Barnstormers the impossible happens. Kurt is spotted by Dick Vermeil (Dennis Quaid) of the Rams and actually given a chance at nearly 30 years old. Offensive coach Mike Martz (Chance Kelly) viciously disagrees with his head coach’s decision, and puts the poor guy through the wringer, forcing Kurt to buckle down and just DO it, no matter the consequences. At the end of the day though, this is Kurt’s time to shine as he’s given the chance of a lifetime. After their first string QB is taken out, Kurt is given the chance to actually play in an NFL game. A game that turns his life around as he leads the Rams to the super bowl that season, as well as their second super bowl just a few years later.

Kurt Warner is a story about a guy who never should have been given the chances he was given. He was a mediocre college player who couldn’t find a draft pick to save his life. He slummed it for 5+ years in a grocery store, and played in the AFL when it probably felt humiliating to do so. But against all odds, he made it to the very top where he played 12 years of professional NFL ball, won numerous awards, was the 2000 MVP of the game, and is looked upon as the single greatest undrafted player in the entire history of American football.

The movie itself is quite good, and deviates from being your typical sports movie. It instead focuses on Kurt’s life with Brenda, and the struggles that he overcomes that MAKE him the football star he will become. As such, I’d still say that this is less of a sports movie, but rather a family drama about a sports star. While everyone does a great job (and a nice cameo by Adam Baldwin), but the two stand outs are Zachary Levi and Anna Paquin. For a woman who is not a believer by any means, she did an amazing job at portraying a woman of devout faith. She has a sincerity and raw visceral nature that makes her intoxicating to watch. Her pain, her nervousness, her excitement, and her love for Kurt are on full display here. Then there’s Levi. Levi has always been a great actor, but really tends to excel at his goofy roles like Chuck, Tangled, and Shazaam! (I’m super excited for Black Adam and Shazaam! 2), but he knocked it out of the park with Kurt Warner. Not only does he look INCREDIBLY like the real life Kurt Warner, but his down home country boy persona is just so smooth and warm here. He nails the role to near perfection and along with Paquin made for an incredibly good dramatic lead.

The film does have some pacing issues, especially near the middle where they sort of truncate several years of Kurt and Brenda’s dating. Things just move from one quick instance to the next, until Kurt is finally pulled by the Rams. It’s not horrible, but you notice the jerky pacing during that center act. Not to mention that they really REALLY soften the religious aspects of Kurt and Brenda’s relationship. Again, not to where it’s offensively left out, but more in line with something like Soul Surfer, where you know about her faith, but it’s not the main focus of the movie and their relationship. Still, quite a fun movie and a good sports flick for those of you were watching that incredible super bowl back in 2000.




Rating:

Rated PG for some Language and Thematic Elements




Video:

Shot on Arri Alexa camera variants (according to what I could find, but nothing concrete), American Underdog looks absolutely fantastic on Blu-ray (and according to my sources, the 4K is immaculate). It’s a very down to earth film that isn’t flashy and stylistic, but very clean and clear for the most part. The older bits of Brenda and Kurt dating tend to look more brown and soft around faces, but when Kurt is on the field playing ball it’s clean as can be and sharp as a tack. The blue and yellow of the Rams uniforms are startlingly well saturated, and you can see every bit of stubble on Levi’s face and every stitch on his uniform. Black levels are deep and inky, and outside of some VERY mild banding, I couldn’t see anything at all wrong with the picture.









Audio:

American Underdog’s Dolby Atmos track isn’t a flashy mix, but it’s a very effective one with intermittent explosions of activity. Being that there is so much dramatic elements to the story it’s not shocking that large swaths of the film are mostly dialog with some ambient noises. Things like a bar room dance hall are pretty immersive, and the bass does kick on during those elements, but it’s really the ball playing where things get chaotic and stretch the track’s legs, so to speak. Said ballgames get REALLY intense, with screaming, yelling, thundering music, and a roaring powerful bass line as Kurt and his team mates slam into each other full force. Good track, nearly GREAT, but a simpler variation of Atmos for sure.










Extras:

• Audio Commentary with Directors Andrew and Jon Erwin and Producer Kevin Downes
• Inspired
• Making the Cut
• A Coach's Faith
• New to the Scene, Hayden Zaller
• Meet the Champion
• Behind the Game
• American Underdog: Behind the Story
• Deleted Scenes
• Theatrical Trailer

Final Score: ​

American Underdog is a very satisfying sports film (or not, depending on how you look at it), and a wonderful story of love, devotion, and dedication that spawned one of the greatest MVPs of all time. The film sticks tightly to the original story of Kurt Warner without too much deviation, and is a fantastic performance by both Paquin and Levi alike. The Blu-ray is fantastic, with great video and audio, and a decent array of extras that actually are quite informative. Well worth checking out.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Zachary Levi, Anna Paquin, Bruce McGill, Adam Baldwin, Dennis Quaid, Chance Kelly
Directed by: Andrew and Jon Erwin
Written by: Jon Erwin (Screenplay), Kurt Warner, Michael Silver (Novel "All Things Possible")
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 AVC
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Core), English DVS, French, Spanish DD 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
Studio: Lionsgate
Rated: PG
Runtime: 112 minutes
Blu-Ray Release Date: February 22nd, 2022

Recommendation: Good Watch

 

[tripplej]

Thanks for the review. I like watching underdog movies as well as inspiring movies so will check this out. This is a good lesson for all of us to believe in ourselves and to always strive for more and not to settle.

 

[Epoxy1]

This is an outstanding movie. Great job Michael.

 

[Todd Anderson]

This is on my watch list. I love these rags-to-riches sports stories.

I'd love to see a film made about John Starks... who went from bagging groceries to throwing down some nasty funk on Horace Grant and Jordan. Not to mention ascending to a high level of play (and I loathe New York sports teams, like it's my job )