Invincible Review
The most amazing thing about the film “Invincible” is that even though he never got to see a Super Bowl, Vince Papale was rightly credited with making a contribution of his own in getting the Philadelphia Eagles on the right track by generating fan enthusiasm with his talent and athletic ability. Knowing what the Eagles’record was like immediately prior to his (and Head Coach Dick Vermeil’s) appearance, it would be very hard to disagree.
At the beginning of “Invincible”, the Eagles are an awful, awful football team. By the end of the film, everything begins to turn, and the fans in Philadelphia are going nuts! So what’s not to like?
I saw this film and went nuts. In fact, I liked the film “Invincible”so much, I got the book and quickly read it. The book “Invincible” was just as inspiring, but it gave me a much different picture of Vince Papale. While many athletes tend to embelish past accomplishments (The older I get, the tougher I was…) Papale is pretty clear in his explanation about how he got to be special teams Captain of the Philadelphia Eagles. That it mostly had to do with perseverance, stamina, mental toughness, and yes, luck. It a good read, but that’s for another review.
Anyway, Papale was physically very tough, but the choice he made for his college education wasn’t an NFL breeding ground like Penn State or Notre Dame. Even though he was recruited to play professional ball in another league, for years the NFL was a distant dream. What “Invincible” the film didn’t touch on was that Vince Papale had a great basis of experience to draw upon in order become a very good professional athlete. And it wasn’t just sandlot smashmouth football.
Papale’s background is something that the film “Invincible” doesn’t really get very much into. It can’t; There just wouldn’t be enough time for it, and to take a trip though Papale’s past athletic struggles would be too complicated for most audiences. Even though it’s very interesting, without all of that, the pace of the movie itself is just about right. The story unfolds gradually and doesn’t drag.
Mark Whalberg is a great choice for the part of Vince Papale. Although he doesn’t resemble Papale, Wahlberg can take a character and make him come to life, as he does here, in an “everyman” sort of way. I also really liked Greg Kinnear as Dick Vermeil. Elizabeth Banks as Janet Cantrell is pretty good too.
The soundtrack is period stuff, mainly. Some of it holds up well (”I Just Want to Celebrate,” “Funk, No.49,” “Fooled Around and Fell in Love”) and some of it doesn’t. Personally, I don’t care if I ever hear “Free Bird” again for the rest of my life…
Anyway, too bad about the Eagles in 2008. Close, but no cigar. At least the kid I saw in the the stands during the playoffs knew what the deal was. He was wearing his Papale Jersey.
Go Eagles!
Invincible Feature
- Officially Licensed
- Highest Quality Recording
Invincible Overview
INVINCIBLE is the inspiring true story of Vince Papale, an ordinary guy who, against extraordinary odds, gets a one-in-a-gazillion shot at living every sports fan’s wildest fantasy. Like the city he lives in and his beloved hometown NFL team, the down-an-out Vince (Mark Wahlberg, THE ITALIAN JOB) has seen better days. But then the Philadelphia Eagles’ new coach Dick Vermeil (Greg Kinnear, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE) calls an unprecedented open tryout, and the 30-year-old bartender who never played college ball makes the cut. Now Vince needs every bit of his gritty, never-say-die attitude and enormous heart to survive in the high-stakes world of professional football. Heartfelt and triumphant, and filled with body-slamming NFL football action, INVINCIBLE will have you on your feet cheering for the scrappy underdog who helped his team rediscover its winning spirits, and in the process rallied a city when it needed it most.
Invincible Specifications
Walt Disney Pictures scored a surprise box-office hit with Invincible, and the movie deserved its good reviews as a fine example of how above-average writing, direction, and casting can turn formulaic material into something special. And make no mistake, this is a formulaic movie, with its real-life story embellished with Rocky-like enthusiasm, and lovingly crafted with the same quality of working-class humanism that made The Rookie a similarly popular Disney hit. This time, the inspirational true story is that of Vince Papale, a down-on-his-luck substitute teacher in Philadelphia (played by Mark Wahlberg in a nicely understated performance) who was 30 years old, out of work, abandoned by his wife, and biding time as a bartender when he answered an open call for tryouts on the Philadelphia Eagles NFL football team in 1976. Going with his gut instinct, new coach Dick Vermeil (Greg Kinnear) rewards Papale’s diligent efforts with a place on the team, and Invincible combines gridiron guts, low-key romance (as Papale meets his future wife-to-be, played by Elizabeth Banks) and blue-collar friendship in an underdog story that moves, with casual charm and abundant appeal, toward a rousing feel-good finish. Making good use of digital visual effects to recreate Philly’s now-demolished Veterans Stadium, director Erickson Core (also serving as his own cinematographer) tackles this heartwarming assignment with intelligence and flair, spinning gold from what could have been just another routine sports movie. –Jeff Shannon
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