Film Review, Invincible: Ready for Another Sports Drama?

Mark Wahlberg stars in Invincible, the true story of 1970s pro-football player Vince Papale. Skeptics and critics threaten Papale’s pursuit of an impossible triumph as a no name attempting to make his mark among seasoned football veterans. Like the jeers of Philadelphia Eagle’s fanatics tired of watching their coveted team fail, Papale faces equally critical reactions. Invincible describes the power of non-believers and believers in launching Papale from part-time bartender to superstar athlete. With the exception of Mark Wahlberg’s seemingly bionic biceps, he convincingly portrays an average Joe Schmo living an unthinkable dream.

Coach Dick Vermeil (Greg Kinnear), the newest addition to the Philadelphia Eagles, announces an experimental public tryout, allowing Papale to showcase his skills. Attempting to counter-act negative press surrounding the NFL team’s losing streak, Vermeil intends to produce media buzz and fan participation with the search for a new team member. The tryouts, however, develop beyond their publicity stunt beginnings when Papale becomes a local superstar.

Along Papale’s atypical path to becoming a football player, all of the elements typical of your standard feel-good sports drama make an appearance. Slow motion action scenes accompanied by dramatic musical ballads embellish the excitement and theatrics of the film. And as with most stories of this genre, plenty of obstacles stand in Papale’s path to becoming a football player for his favorite team.

Despite numerous setbacks, some negative feedback, and heckling from potential teammates, such critics are punctuated by words of encouragement or in the occasional tacit nod of approval. The film attempts to incorporate complex relationships with his father, a potential love interest, and mixed reviews from a gang of friends at a neighborhood bar. Ultimately, this is where Invincible fails. The relationships appear complex on the surface, but are left undeveloped and floundering as the focus quickly digresses back to the film’s primary theme, Papale’s struggles and pursuit of professional football status.

The film mainly preserves suspense on the field as Papale teeters on a precipice between total failure and unexpected success. However predictable the final outcome may be, Invincible champions the underdog as an unconquerable force to be reckoned with. In typical Disney fashion, Invincible scores points with an upbeat ending and positive message that will please sentimentalists, capture sports fans, and ultimately, entertain as promised.