Invincible

I challenge you to watch INVINCIBLE and not lace on your shoes to bag a few quick miles afterward.

OK, so I'm a sucker for inspirational sports films. I also happen to be a sucker for the Philadelphia Eagles, having made more on them than on Halliburton this year. INVINCIBLE hits all the marks of a good sports film and, with a helping of charisma from Mark Wahlberg, Greg Kinnnear, and the wonderful Elizabeth Banks.

Here's the story: it's Philadelphia, it's the mid-'70s, and times are hard. We know this because the part of the film that sets up the milieu is color-corrected with what looks like an annoying yellow gel. The Eagles, Philly's hometown NFL team, stinks, and new coach Kinnear hits on the idea of holding open tryouts, a first for an NFL team. Wahlberg, a down-on-his-luck bartender / substitute teacher tries out for the team, overcomes hardship, and inspires the city. It sounds cheesy, but it works and clips right along to a satisfying ending that feels like it comes far too soon. I'd grown to like Wahlberg's character, real-life player Vince Papale, and I wanted to see what happened next in his life.

I have some problems with the picture, mostly with choices that I think were made in post, but that's ok. If you like sports films, you can't go wrong with INVINCIBLE.