"INVINCIBLE"
DVD Review
by Rachel Buccicone
| MOVIE: *** (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars) STARRING Mark Wahlberg as VINCE PAPALE Greg Kinnear as COACH VERMEIL Elizabeth Banks as JANET CANTRELL Rated PG Studio: Walt Disney Directed by: Ericson Core Back to DVD Review Home |  |
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Disney loves to make movies based on actual events, especially when those stories involve sports. “Remember the Titans” and “Miracle” are just two of the many Disney based-on-reality sports films, but unlike “Remember the Titans”, “Invincible” recounts a lack-luster football tale.
Thirty-year-old bartender Vince Papale (Mark Wahlberg) is the unlikely hero in this NFL tale. Being a hard-core Philadelphia Eagles fan, Vince’s loyalty fails to waver during the teams disappointing performance during the 70s that leads to the introduction of a new coach.
Coach Dick Vermeil (Greg Kinnear) with his limited experience decides the best approach to a better team is open tryouts. As can be expected, every Eagles fan attends the tryouts only to drown Vermeil’s hope of finding a savior.
Being the best football player among his group of friends, Vince is persuaded to attend the open tryouts. Since he proves himself as a speedy runner, Vince is the only hopeful to make the cut.
Meanwhile, the niece of the bar owner has moved from New York to Philly and catches Vince’s eye. Unfortunately, Janet (Elizabeth Banks) is a Giants fan and not squeamish about making it known. However, this doesn’t prevent Vince from pursuing her only to blow her off to focus on his new career.
As soon as Vince heads to football camp (“Remember the Titans” flashback) he is snubbed by the team of veteran players. Vince survives cut after cut only to anger the team further. As we all learn, having Vince on the team doesn’t mean the team will win its games.
What makes Vince’s tale of interest is that everything he accomplished was done so without any encouragement and a certain amount of discouragement. But what sports story isn’t about overcoming adversity?
The best place to start criticizing this film is with the title. Nothing about this film suggests invincibility. However, since “InVINCible” is about VINCE Papale, Disney clearly saw an opportunity to be clever. Bravo.
This film would be nothing without name actors. Greg Kinnear (“Little Miss Sunshine”) and Mark Wahlberg (“The Departed”) give the performances you would expect, but don’t go out of their way to wow the audience.
Like every other Disney film set in the past, the soundtrack is composed of standard songs from the decade. If the music doesn’t tip you off, Wahlberg and Kinnear’s long, bouncy locks will surely take you back to the 70s.
Disney clearly saw something in the Vince Papale story worth sharing, but besides being too old and lacking professional experience, the tale isn’t outstanding. If this were a fictional tale, Vince’s arrival on the team would have made all the difference and the Eagles would have been instant champs. Unfortunately, that’s not what happened and we’re left with a story that lacks any present-day relevance.
The DVD doesn’t have much to enjoy. Two audio commentaries are offered, one with Papale himself, the producer and writer and another with the director and editor. Any Papale fan would enjoy the featurette: “Becoming Invincible: The Vince Papale Story”.
Perhaps if you are an Eagles fan, a Papale fan, or just can’t get enough of sports movies you will want to own “Invincible”. The film is rated PG so it’s certainly family friendly, but don’t expect your kids to want to watch it daily. It’s not that “Invincible” is a bad film, but it lacks the makings of a good film. Rent it if you feel the need, but avoid purchasing.
Specifications: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround. Widescreen (2.35:1). English and French Language Track. French and Spanish Subtitles.
