The story, available on HuraWatch, of wrestler Anthony Robles is impressive. Robles was born with one leg, but he never gave up on the dream of participating in competitive sports. He made it through high school with physical and mental strength, along with the help of his coaches and teammates. His story of perseverance is depicted in Unstoppable, a kind of biopic that aims to be the latest in the underdog film genre. Screenwriters Eric Champnella, Alex Harris and John Hindman are keen to create all kinds of moving moments in the film, aiming to appeal to a sensitive audience with this study of adversity and inner drive. The film is also oversimplified, while director William Goldenberg polishes the film to a TV-like quality that makes it easier to understand. With little sharpness or originality, lacking any sense of heartfelt triumph or hard work, Unstoppable is more of an advertisement for Anthony Robles than a nuanced study of his indomitable spirit. Anthony is a high school wrestler who trains hard under his coach Bobby to turn his one-legged student into one of the best wrestlers in Arizona. Anthony is successful on the mat and is preparing for college. He sets his sights on Iowa, the home state of sports superstar Matt. Anthony's personal life is turbulent, as he must deal with his abusive landlord Rick, who is married to Anthony's mother Judy and has added four more children to an already financially strained household. With few college offers and feeling anxious about leaving home, Anthony decides to join the Arizona State University team. But coach Sean makes the youngster practice hard to secure his place on the team. Anthony strives to achieve his dream, but finds obstacles on every side that stand in his way of winning the NCAA championship. Anthony is a big man in high school, working under Coach Bobby to achieve the seemingly impossible. He manages to overpower his opponents while standing on one leg. He is a rare figure in the sport of wrestling, a young man with a drive to prove himself. And he does so during his early struggles in Philadelphia, when he comes to terms with the end of his high school career during a pilgrimage to Rocky Steps. A visual moment that makes it clear that "Unstoppable" is not over the top in terms of depicting the underdog's journey. The screenplay does not have that level of nuance, preferring to keep things light, including Anthony and his time in his small world and broken home. Rick is a violent braggart with drinking and money problems who makes life difficult for his children, while Judy tries to tame a raging beast and takes a lot of punishment herself in the process.
Domestic violence is part of the storyline of "Unstoppable," and the script has too many threatening scenes in which Rick belittles a young man who is proud of being fatherless. The film emphasizes Rick's hostility rather than revealing his danger, allowing Cannavale to overdo his portrayal of Rick, diluting the level of terror he should bring to the story. Judy's determination to take control of her life in the wake of a mortgage default adds another moving element to the film, as she experiences her own enlightenment. Even more exciting is Anthony's time finding his way to ASU, going through a grueling probationary period (including a climb) and the program's funding problems. Coach Shawn is under a lot of stress, but he always retains a wealth of wisdom and belief in Anthony's wrestling ability. The story unfolds exactly as you'd expect, with Anthony going on a journey of self-improvement while dealing with conflicts at home. He's also challenged as a wrestler, facing off against Matt, a rival with half the charisma of Ivan Drago. The screenplay makes great efforts to emphasize certain points about Anthony and his struggle to be seen as a person, not just someone who overcomes physical challenges, which is especially valuable for younger audiences. Jerome is also excellent as Robles, conveying as much nuance as possible. He's strong in a film that's only interested in telling a simple success story and that at times sounds too much like 1993's Rudy. "Unstoppable" makes some odd creative choices and is mostly characterized by a wearying sense of monotony, never succeeding in crafting an inspiring celebration of athletic or personal triumph against all odds.
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