i must have seen a different film!!

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

If you box this the perfect show for you, if you don't box its still a perfect show for you. Mostly males don't get caught into reality TV but me and six of my friends watch it together every week with some chips and soda. This show brings the troubles boxers go through in their life. Their dreams slowly turning into reality. There is nothing missing from this show, you see everything you would expect. You see them evolve,and like real life there is betrayal, deception, hatred, friendship,sportsmanship, love, Heart, "Swagger", etc. The fighting, camera angles, music is very good. No regrets on the trainers, sparring partners? Its a great show for anybody Period.

I, like a lot of people, felt I could not bring myself to watch another reality television programme. I was sick of seeing normal people acting up in front of a camera or even worse minor "celebrities" that are mostly famous for doing nothing fighting for even more exposure as they try to get a career in television. You can imagine my surprise when I saw the first series of the contender. Driven young fighters given a chance of a lifetime to be trained by the best trainers in state of the art facilities. Finally this is what reality TV was meant to be about. Sure there were plenty of ego's on show but at the end of each show it was put up or shut up. And how many times was I wrong about who would be the final one standing (too many times to count). It was never any better than when a boxer would be selected to fight because his opponent thought that he was "out of shape" only to see a "surprise" result. The highlight of the programme is, of course, the fight at the end of each programme where it is a mixture of real time mixed with slow motion sections when big punches are landed. Think fight night meets Rocky. It certainly raised the excitement of watching the programme. Needless to say I am a fan and am happy to say that the second series is looking to be almost as good as the first.

I feel happy but still confused about this show. It has everything I could dream of from a good show. GOOD boxers, Stallone and Sugar Ray, tactics and psyching.But I can't stand the dramatizing music, slow motions and empty bombastic phrases. And I hate the filming of the matches - lots of audience filming on family and friends, lots of slow motion and the from below angle never gives you a possibility to understand how the fight goes. And I feel uncertain all the time if these fights are really just the boxers doing their best, or following a script to dramatize the match - the matches are swinging forth and back a bit much.But I just can't help loving the show. I hope that I'm not tricked, but that this show is actually the real thing.

Anybody who is a fan of boxing should love this. It will also appeal to non-fans because the stories of the boxers themselves are heart-warming. It really gets into the heads of the fighters and shows what drives them, be it honor, fame, family, or God. I don't care much for the little athletic competitions they use to pick who fights next, but the fights, while only 5 rounds long, are action-packed and full of drama. Even if the fights are taped and edited, you'll be on the edge of your seat, and none of the hard hits, huge comebacks, and saddening defeats lose their impact. And since you get into the heads of these boxers and appreciate where they're coming from, when they fight, sometimes it's hard to choose who to root for. These guys are all winners*.My only problem with the show is it is a little too over-packaged and edited. But, that's network TV for you. It doesn't matter too much in the end, because this show is still great, and one of two current shows I follow with great zeal (the other show being "Lost").*With the possible exception of Ahmed Kahddour. Cocky bastard.