Invincible Review

        It’s seems cliché that a sports team would hold an open tryout by letting in anyone join their squad. That’s exactly what happened to the Philadelphia Eagles. Disney’s Invincible is one of those sports movies where it seems impossible to think that a pro team could let random person join the team and gain a following. 

1. Vince Papale 

        Mark Wahlberg plays the Philadelphia legend. We see him be a bartender and just moving on from a bad divorce. Earlier, the film establishes that he is a good football player, albeit that he’s playing with a bunch of joes at a sandlot. Wahlberg’s Papale is a humble person who isn’t full of himself. It’s not until he participates in the Eagles’ open tryouts that we see just how small he is in comparison to the other players. For these types of movies, you must make the character relatable. In this case it’s obviously an underdog movie. He gets jeered and some players even laugh at the idea that he’s the guy the team is willing to take a shot. 

        I feel that the movie could’ve also focused on the head coach Dick Vermeil. In real life, he was hired after having success in the college ranks. On a personal note, he left the game since he was dealing with burnout. The film hints at that when he is preparing the game plan. One moment that I found interesting occurs prior to the season opening game. Vince runs to the restroom to puke and sees the coach next as they both exit out of the stalls. We can understand that the pressure is on the both of them to win. 

        One last thing is that the film has that distinct Philadelphia grittiness. Obviously, a good comparison is the first Rocky film. Since both films focus on ordinary men and take place in the city. They have a shot of entering a moment that is bigger than them. Both are humble and manage to go the distance by proving the doubters wrong. Albeit Invincible did happen, with some creative liberties sprinkled in. It’s interesting since Philadelphia has that competitive streak and they are die-hard Eagles fans. 

2. Disney Sport’s films

        This film came out in that brief period in the 2000s where Disney was pumping out sports films left and right. Movies like Remember the Titans, The Rookie, and Miracle where successful enough that I think the studio found a niche and kept making them since they were profitable. Not to say that the genre is very easy to make, but what makes it successful during that brief tenure is that it focused on the characters. 

        You don’t even have to be knowledgeable about the sport or the background history, ultimately the takeaway is that the films are mostly character dramas first. While also balancing to show the sport that is the background for the characters to play in. Invincible doesn’t shy by showing the tackles and practice. One thing that I didn’t expect to see was the part where the team cuts the players. And seeing Vince reacting to the Turk, the coach who tells the players they’re out, knock on the doors.

3. Overall

        Invincible is underrated and should be seen by more people. As a Cowboys fan the film was enjoyable, especially seeing the ‘Birds lose to the ‘Boys. Most importantly to see how one person manage to do the improbable.