We love sports because it gives us inspirational stories and performances. The same is true of sports biopics. These films allow you to go deeper into the stories of these lives and athletes and take a journey to the top with them. The best of them leave you stirred as they reach their goal.
Unstoppable, a new streaming film on Prime Video, is based on the story of Anthony Robles. He didn’t let having one leg stop him. He fought to become one of the best wrestlers in the country, going all the way to an NCAA Championship with Arizona State. This new film captures that story and the work it took to get there.
It begins with Robles (Jharrel Jerome) as a decorated high school wrestler. He wins matches despite challenges and is encouraged by his coach, Bobby Williams (Michael Peña) to take it further. He has an offer from a smaller school, but he wants to wrestle at the top level in college. He turns his focus to Arizona State.
While Coach Williams uses his connections to get Robles a meeting with Arizona State coach Shawn Charles (Don Cheadle), it isn’t a magical moment. Robles is offered a chance to walk on, no scholarship. He decides to do it in the hopes he can make an impression. It isn’t easy, but he fights his way onto the team. Eventually, he fights his way to the highest level with the team. Mind you, the mat isn’t the only place where Robles faces obstacles.
While his mother, Judy (Jennifer Lopez), is his biggest cheerleader, she faces her own battles. That comes in the form of her abusive husband, Rick (Bobby Cannavale), who has his own clashes with Robles.
This is a sports biopic that seems to follow a familiar formula. We have some obstacles at home and some obstacles on the field, and our hero has to overcome them all. That is Robles’ story, and it’s still an inspirational one. But the best of these biopics find something unique or compelling to help the film stand out.
Jennifer Lopez Plays A Significant Role
Director William Goldenberg, a longtime editor, makes his feature debut here. He does a sturdy job telling the story but it’s not overly engaging, especially from a visual standpoint. That makes it feel overly familiar and, at times, slow to develop.
Jerome is the standout here, pouring himself into this role as Robles. Lopez, Cheadle and the rest of the supporting cast are solid, too. This film wants to be as much about Judy as about Anthony Robles, and that comes through in the post-film sequence sharing their story.
For fans of sports biopics, Unstoppable will be a nice addition to the January landscape and an easy watch on streaming. Unstoppable streams on Prime Video beginning Thursday, January 16.