#VicksFlicks Special Edition: Fighting With My Family

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FIGHTING WITH MY FAMILY

 3 out of 5 stars

While general audiences may not appreciate the subject matter, director/writer Stephen Merchant treats this sports entertainment underdog dramedy with respect. Any fan of wrestling will see its flaws, but the family dynamic is stellar – lead by a solid performance from Florence Pugh who wrestles with owning who she is in order to live her dream out loud. She’s surrounded by a terrific supporting cast including Vince Vaughn as the hardened coach/trainer, Dwayne Johnson simply as himself, and Nick Frost as the headstrong father whose passion about wrestling is unwavering.

The genuine, grueling journey of WWE Superstar Paige is handled with soft hands, resulting in the movie holding back and not leaving it all out there in the ring. Still, the heart and humor of this true story is entertainingly displayed through the Knight family and rightfully so. It’s ultimately what makes the rest of the derivative, unsurprising narrative just kick out before the 3-count.

“Nature Boy” Brandon Vick is the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and star of Brandon’s Box Office In Your Mouth. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.

2.5 out of 5 stars

I was not as high on Pugh as Brandon was, and combined with some of the inaccuracies of the movie, it took me out of the film on a couple of occasions. I couldn’t help but wonder, “who is this film for?” As Brandon mentioned, the diehard wrestling fans are going to pinpoint its flaws. Meanwhile, is the casual moviegoer going to care about a pro wrestling story? Fighting With My Family operates somewhere in that gray area and appears to try and appeal to both audiences.

Ultimately, that disconnect is what kept me from ever feeling truly engrossed in the performances of its knockout cast. I’m with Brandon – the backbone of this movie is the Knight family, with Frost and Lena Headey standing out. Vaughn also deserves a ton of credit for his role – thought he played the grizzled old wrestling coach perfectly.

All things considered, this was an entertaining movie – I would’ve liked to have seen a little more bite with Paige, as she didn’t seem as battle-tested as her story would suggest. But, this could’ve been so so much worse.

Check out our full video review from the SoBros YouTube channel:

Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley

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