Boxing biography movies for kids
The 25 best boxing movies of all time, ranked
25. "The Champ" (1979)
The emotional core of any good boxing movie is seeing athletes fight for their families. Though usually metaphorical, that drama is quite literal in The Champ, seeing a former boxer (Jon Voight) hop back in the ring to provide for his son (Ricky Schroder) after his wife (Faye Dunaway) comes back into the picture. The result is an affecting story with its fair share of sad surprises. As EW’s critic put it, “the film plays against easy tears until the very end, gazing instead at poverty-line existences without blinking or grandstanding.”
Where to watch The Champ: Amazon Prime Video
24. "Real Steel" (2011)
In light of our modern anxieties about losing jobs to AI, Real Steel feels startlingly relevant. It’s the story of a boxing champ (Hugh Jackman) whose skills in the ring mean nothing once robots replace humans as fighters. Now, he puts bots together for underground battles, and once he teams up with his estranged son (Dakota Goyo), he has one last chance to be a contender. EW’s critic specifically praised director Shawn Levy, “who makes good use of his specialized skill in blending people and computer-made imaginary things into one lively, emotionally satisfying story.”
Where to watch Real Steel: Netflix
23. "The Harder They Fall" (1956)
The most compelling part of The Harder They Fall is how it examines the world of boxing through the eyes of an outsider. Mike Lane stars as the central fighter, who seems oblivious to his own lack of skill and the fact that his victories are arranged by a crooked promoter (Nick Benko). This leaves a down-on-his-luck reporter played by Humphrey Bogart with a terrible choice: Is he willing to print the truth, even if it means the death of all a young man’s hopes and dreams?
Where to watch The Harder They Fall: Amazon Prime Video (to rent)
22. "Requiem for a Heavyweight" (1962)
Screenwriter Pugilists have been popular camera subjects since the start — boxing, at the time, being arguably the most interesting thing you do to another person in public. In the odd century-plus that’s passed since, boxing cinema has evolved past mere punching for spectacle. It’s about personal toil. Training. Strength. Sacrifice. Undying commitment to the physical vision. And then it’s about hitting somebody for money. Or respect, sure. Tonight’s title bout: The best-reviewed boxing movies ever! In one corner, we have heavyweight classics like Rocky and Raging Bull. In the other, hungry newcomers like Creed and Million Dollar Baby. And in another corner (we have a lot of corners): hard-hitting documentaries, repped by When We Were Kings and Unforgivable Blackness. And, yes, we’re going international in this corner: see Knuckle all the way from Ireland, and China Heavyweight, all the way from, er, China. To rank the list, we listed Certified Fresh films first, followed by Fresh and then the Rotten movies. Think you got what it takes to take on the champs? Hit ’em where it counts! Right in the Best Boxing Movies of All Time! —Alex Vo #3 Critics Consensus:Creed brings the Rocky franchise off the mat for a surprisingly effective seventh round that extends the boxer's saga in interesting new directions while staying true to its classic predecessors' roots. Synopsis: Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) never knew his famous father, boxing champion Apollo Creed, who died before Adonis was born. [More] Starring: Michael B. Jordan , Sylvester Stallone , Tessa Thompson , Phylicia Rashad Directed By: Ryan Coogler #4 Critics Consensus: A beautifully-made documentary that explores the challenges and richness of both marriage and art through the lens of a fascinating and complex couple. Synops Boxing is an art form, and a very brutal one at that. If you've never been in the ring with someone trying to knock you out, these documentaries do their best to bring you as close as possible. From a look at Muhammad Ali’s life, to a documentary about the famous Dempsey-Tunney fight, these are the best boxing documentaries you can watch right now, and an important part of martial arts history. Great ones are hard to come by, unless you know where to look. Here are ten of the best boxing documentaries: Muhammad and Larry is a 1981 documentary film about the fight between Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes that took place on June 15, 1980. The fight was a major event, with both men being at the height of their careers. It was held in Las Vegas and became Muhammad Ali's last championship bout. The film is full of interviews with celebrities talking about their impressions of the fight and its participants. There are also numerous clips from previous fights between the two fighters, as well as backstage footage from both HBO TV broadcasts. Unforgivable Blackness is a 2004 HBO documentary film directed by Ken Burns that chronicles the life of boxer Jack Johnson aka the "Galveston Giant". The documentary explores the life of controversial boxer Jack Johnson, who became the first African American heavyweight champion. It explores his rise to fame in early 1900s America when he dominated boxing until his fight with James J. Jeffries The 94 Best Boxing Movies of All Time Ranked by Tomatometer
Top 10 Boxing Documentaries
Boxing Is An Art Form
Ten of the Best Boxing Documentaries
1. Muhammad and Larry (1981)
2. Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson (2004)
List of boxing films
Title Year Genre Notes Ref Leonard–Cushing Fight 1894 Documentary Silent film Corbett and Courtney Before the Kinetograph 1894 Documentary Silent film Boxing Match; or, Glove Contest 1896 Documentary Silent film The Corbett–Fitzsimmons Fight 1897 Documentary A full-length version of a 19th-century title bout. The Gordon Sisters Boxing 1901 Documentary Silent film The Joe Gans – Battling Nelson Fight 1906 Archival footage Silent footage of most of the championship bout that lasted an astounding 48 rounds. The film company ran out of money – and film – in the 38th round and had to stop shooting The Johnson–Jeffries Fight 1910 Documentary Footage from a bout between heavyweights Jack Johnson and James J. Jeffries. The Knockout 1914 Short, comedy To show his girl how brave he is, Pug (Roscoe Arbuckle) challenges a champion. The Third String 1914 Comedy A man poses as a boxer to impress a barmaid and is forced to fight the champion. The Champion 1915 Short, comedy Charlie Chaplin puts a "good luck" horseshoe into his boxing glove and wins. The White Hope 1915 Drama An Earl's sister returns to a boxer in time to help him win. Twenty-One 1918 Comedy A young man trades places with a lookalike boxer and learns to fight for what he wants. Square Joe 1922 Drama An innocent boxer is convicted of killing a policeman during a raid on a gambling operation. He is sentenced to death and his friends attempt to locate the real murderer. The World's Champion 1922 Drama To impress a British noblewoman, a man goes to America to put up his dukes. The Leather Pushers 1922 Serial After his father goes broke, a young man (Reginald Denny) fights for money. Hogan's Alley 1925 Comedy A knockout earns Lefty (Monte Blue) the title, but nearly costs him his girl. Battlin