Are you not entertained? Russell Crowe is once again exploring the art of the duel, this time as an MMA tutor. His new movie, Beast, will be released in the United States on Apr. 10, 2026. Judging from its premise, it seems worth watching. In it, Crowe is a coach training a former legend of the ring who had settled for life as a fisherman. The man’s brother is in danger, and to save him, he commits to one last fight at the ONE Championship.
The sports drama also stars Luke Hemsworth and Daniel MacPherson, so expect great performances. Just make sure you don’t confuse it with Idris Elba’s movie of the same name. While you are at it, be sure to watch Russell Crowe’s other ring-action movie, released more than two decades ago. Cinderella Man is the name. With its 80% Rotten Tomatoes score, it’s one of the best there is in its division.
In ‘Cinderella Man’, the Hero Doesn’t Just Beat His Opponents
Russell Crowe is incredibly sullen in Cinderella Man – a bigger-budgeted attempt to dig into the Raging Bull vein of kinetic ring violence, out-of-control masculine energy, and a brooding, pessimistic view of urban life. When we first meet him, his mind seems distant. There are movements around him, but he doesn’t seem to notice them. The people don’t really exist for him. Except his wife and children. Crowe plays James J. Braddock, the boxing great who ruled the division from 1935 to 1937.
Unlike other boxing biopics, Cinderella Man is extremely accurate. Forced into early retirement because of an injured arm, the real James was forced to work on the docks and collect social assistance to feed his young family during the Great Depression. An offer to fill in for another boxer for one night would turn into a major comeback and lead to his greatest career spell. It turned out the injured hand wasn’t as big a problem as he thought. James could easily knock out opponents with the other one. For his miraculous feats, he earned the nickname “Cinderella Man.”
Directed by Ron Howard (the second collaboration between him and Crowe after A Beautiful Mind) with an acidulous screenplay by Akiva Goldsman (Batman Forever), the film was nominated for three Oscars, including Best Film Editing and Best Makeup. Crowe wasn’t recognized. Instead, recognition went to Paul Giamatti (Best Supporting Actor) for his work portraying James Braddock’s manager, Joe Gould. However, the Golden Globes had Crowe in contention for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. The award would eventually go to Philip Seymour Hoffman for his work in Capote.
‘Cinderella Man’ Was an Attempt To Ride a Wave, but It Has Aged Well
Cinderella Man was an obvious attempt to explore the early 2000s boxing wave. Movies like Ali, Undisputed, and Million Dollar Baby had all become major hits, prompting Howard and Crowe to jump on the bandwagon. Commercially, it didn’t quite work out as well as Universal Pictures had hoped, as the biopic only made about $20 million more than its budget. But it’s safe to say that most cinephiles at the time had no idea what they were missing out on. This is not just a solid “Fight Night” movie but one of the most recommendable movies about the Great Depression. You might not relate to James J. Braddock’s ring tactics, but you’ll definitely relate to his family life and the economic hardships he faces.
In all honesty, the film lacks the cinematic excellence of Raging Bull and the blockbuster feel of the Creed installments or any of the hits in which underdogs fight, yell, and shove their way into glory. It’s kinda quieter, with limited music and showmanship. But that’s kinda why it works so well. Like an expert photographer, Ron Howard blocks out everything that might be deemed as noisy light, so that audiences can digest each event well and feel its weight.
There is poetry in play here, the kind of fluency and philosophy you rarely see in boxing movies. Punches matter, but so does pain. Cinderella Man’s entire dramatic awesomeness simply lies in the moment-by-moment emphasis on desire and duty. Hopefully, Beast will deliver the same magic. With Crowe now older, he wisely chose to take on that Giamatti role…the mentor-trainer role. If history has taught us anything, it’s that the Academy loves such a role. Stallone in Creed? Freeman in Million Dollar Baby? Joe Pesci in Raging Bull? They all received Oscar nominations. But with The Smashing Machine getting snubbed at the recent awards, one has to wonder whether boxing movies are adored more than MMA movies.
Will things be different for Beast? Fingers crossed.
- Release Date
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June 2, 2005
- Runtime
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144 Minutes
