Champion is yet another inspirational reminder to all on how to always stay true to one’s motivational drivers and never give up. Champion proves its worth by standing firmly on its feet in a crowded market of similar genre films.
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It never gets old to witness the rise of an underdog that has nothing to lose and it gets even more exciting when it takes the form of a sports drama and comedy. While not a typical sport to feature on the silver screen, first-feature South Korean filmmaker Kim Yong-Wan explores arm wrestling in Champion that opens this week.
Many may perceive arm wrestling as nothing more than a vulgar activity that only serves to prove one’s strength, there is more to it than many of us may know. Beyond the techniques and physical training that are required, the audience follows Mark (Ma Dong-Seok), an orphan abandoned since young, and learns how arm wrestling is more than might and technique to the protagonist.
Kim, who also wrote the screenplay, keeps his onscreen affairs simple and straightforward, which is good as it allows him to focus on aspects that he intends to pursue. This however makes for a linear watch that would not satisfy today’s cinema-goers. It is heartening to see Kim working on social and emotional themes and commentary in Champion.
While it touches briefly on issues like racial bullying and gambling, viewers should not expect a full fledge assignment by Kim on these serious social topics. Instead, he focuses on Mark’s character and establishes his drivers and motivations in life as an orphan and underdog.
These allows the audience to be introduced to wonderful characters like Mark’s long-lost “sister” Soo-Jin (Han Ye-Ri) and her adorable children Joon-Yeong and Joon-Hee. Their chemistry and story remain as an integral component of the film to hold everything together, although not as tightly developed as some may hope for it to be.
For the remaining running time, viewers may ponder over Kim’s capabilities to sustain a sports drama comedy with exhilarating scenes of arm wrestling (with reference to 1987’s Over the Top). There aren’t many but for those deployed such as training scenes of Mark trying to use his wrist to topple a junked car, they should work relatively well for most.
Despite being a delicious tale of the rise of an arm wrestling underdog, it is still a straightforward narrative that might be predictable for some to appreciate. Nevertheless, Champion is yet another inspirational reminder to all on how to always stay true to one’s motivational drivers and never give up. Champion proves its worth by standing firmly on its feet in a crowded market of similar genre films.
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