Skip to main content

Dome Pondering Movie Review: Southpaw (2015)

What is it about? 

A successful boxer who made it from the foster system must pull his life together after losing his wife in an accident and his daughter to Child Protective Services. 

Who is in it? 

Jake Gyllenhaal - Billy Hope

Rachel McAdams - Maureen Hope

Forest Whitaker - Tick Wills

Favorite Scene: 

[spoiler alert!]

In his fight against Miguel Escobar, Hope managers to knockdown Escobar right before the final bell rings. The visual of Escobar falling is absolutely amazing. 

Favorite Quote: 

"These kids coming up in here I'm telling them a bunch of stuff, this bullsh*t. "It's gonna be alright". You can control your destiny. You could control this, you could control that". You can't control sh*t."

Review: 

Let's just put this out here, because everyone does it in comparing a new boxing movie to Rocky. For me, my favorite boxing movie is indeed Cinderella Man. Gasp! I know. However, Southpaw is an amazing film that I really do believe is up there with the original Rocky and Cinderella Man. 

What I love about Southpaw is the story. Sure, every boxing movie has the typical underdog and overcome storyline arc for the big win. However, what I love about Southpaw, is what I typically like in most of the films/TV shows I am drawn to - they build up the protagonist and then completely destroy him early. Like - wham! - really tear him down! It sucks me in every time, and forces me to root for the hero, in this case, Billy Hope. 

Also, the visuals in the film are absolutely fantastic. The fight scenes feel so authentic, so real, and some of the fight action is shot so well. 

Of course, Jake Gyllenhaal with his superb talent is just that - superb in this role. And hey, even Curtis Jackson aka 50 Cent is pretty decent. 

All in all, if you enjoyed Rocky, or like really good films, be sure to check out Southpaw. 

Grade: 5/5
Labels:

Recently Read

Would You Rather: Questions 121-130

This edition of "Would You Rather" is credited to the NBA Would You Rather NBA Account on Instagram ( See Here ). Adding to the fun, this edition (and possibly future ones) are all NBA basketball questions.  121. Who would you rather have on your favorite NBA team - Giannis Antetokounpo or James Harden?  Seeing how I'm a lifelong suffering Knicks fan, the thought of any of these guys in blue and orange is hard to believe. With that said, I'm taking the Greek Freak for this reason - I enjoy watching him play a bit more. Nothing against Harden who is amazing as well, but at times, the ball sticks and that isn't always fun. Plus, I feel like we haven't yet seen a finished Giannis. 122. Would you rather have Giannis Antetokounpo with no driving ability or James Harden with no Three-Point shooting ability?  This is definitely a weird and unique one, but I'll take Harden. Giannis without his strength doesn't offer much. However, if Harden's d...
Read more

The Pondering 10 - Yankees All-Decade Team for 2010s

I thought I would stay away from the "all-decade" shenanigans, but I got suckered in after all. Around here, end of year rankings, reviews, and reflections rule, so why not compose a list that embodies it all? And why not put together a list around my beloved Yankees? Especially in a decade in which they DID NOT win the World Series. Gasp! With all of that said, please see below not only my list of the Yankees All-Decade Team (because everyone can filter by position), but also by importance and contribution throughout the decade.
Read more

TNA Lockdown 2026 Review: "Sign me up for more Order 4 drama"

Lockdown turned into a really fun show for me. And that always was the case when the event was a normal thing. It's had its historic clunkiness (electric cage match anyone?), but that's pro wrestling, baby! But seriously, Lockdown didn't feel like much until the last few weeks. Maybe it was the creative change, but the show came about with a strong undercard over several weeks carried (in my opinion) by Mustafa Ali vs. Jason Hotch and Cedric Alexander vs. Leon Slater. The main event felt more so on name value than storyline, but that didn't carry too much through the night.  For me, the main event of this was always Mustafa Ali vs. Jason Hotch, and that did not disappoint.   --- Random Tidbits Lots of "cage" talk going into this one, and quite honestly, it was warranted. TNA went years - YEARS! - without a cage match, likely for budgeting and logistical reasons. We saw a really rough-looking cage before TNA gave us an updated version that also served as a nod ...
Read more