- 10
...quick on its feet and packs a mighty punch. With solid bodywork, clever feints and tremendous heart, it scores at least a TKO, by which I mean both that it falls just short of overpowering greatness ? I can't quite exclaim, ?It's a knockout!? ? and that the most impressive thing about it is technique.
—A. O. Scott New York Times
- 9
There's a certain predictability to The Fighter, yet that's part of the appeal of the fight genre. This one, as thoughtful as it is rousing, scores a TKO.
—Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly
- 9
...has high style but is never showy, blends history and fiction in fascinating fashion, and includes several of the year's best performances.
—Andrew O'Hehir Salon
- 8
...doesn't try to upend the genre, but it's a reminder of how satisfying these movies can be when they're done right.
—Scott Tobias Onion AV Club
- 8
...one of the year's best films.
—Claudia Puig USA Today
- 8
The Fighter, its heart full to bursting, is an emotional powerhouse that comes close to spilling over.
—Peter Travers Rolling Stone
- 8
...an off-center but exceptional boxing film...
—Michael Phillips Chicago Tribune
- 8
...stuffed with brawlers looking to throw down. [20 December 2010, p.35]
—Alynda Wheat People
- 7
If The Fighter feels like kind of a mess, lurching from one scene to the next as if the film itself has taken a few hits to the head, that's not entirely a bad thing.
—Peter Debruge Variety
- 7
...blessed by a superb cast.
—Kenneth Turan Los Angeles Times
- 7
...OK as a gritty indie with great performances from Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale. But the all too familiar Rocky-formula keeps it from being a total KO.
—Peter Paras E!
- 6
...The Fighter is, in terms of structure and tone, as traditional as a left-right combo.
—Nick Schager Slant Magazine
- 6
The Fighter feels rigged.
—J. Hoberman Village Voice
- 6
A cross between a boxing biopic and a paean to working-class heroism, The Fighter doesn't quite make the weight class in either category.
—Peter Rainer Christian Science Monitor
- 6
...we aren't deeply invested in Micky, we don't care as much as we should, and the film ends on a note that should be triumph but feels more like simple conclusion.
—Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times
- 5
You never feel close enough to the action, either in the ring or in the kitchens, living rooms and tough streets where the story takes place. The characters engage you up to a point but never really pull you in.
—Kirk Honeycutt Hollywood Reporter
- 5
Two-thirds of The Fighter is a slog through the bleak and the ugly -- poverty porn meant to reassure us that our social inferiors never say anything witty or achieve a moment of grace.
—Kyle Smith New York Post
- 4
...goes the distance but loses by decision.
—Sean O'Connell filmcritic.com