Play it to the Bone

Starring:Antonio Banderas, Woody Harrelson, Lolita Davidovich, Tom Sizemore, Lucy Liu, Robert Wagner, Richard Masur, Willie Garson, Cylk Cozart, Jack Carter (II), Aida Turturro, Louie Leonardo, Slade Barnett, Cameron Milzer, Julio GarcÃa (III), Johnny Ortiz, Jordy Oakland, William Utay, Joseph Arsenault, Fred Lewis
Director: Ron Shelton
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Best friends Vince (Woody Harrelson) and Cesar (Antonio Banderas) are both down-on-their-luck boxers who've suddenly been given a highly visible fight and a promised shot at the middleweight title--only they're fighting each other. With Grace (Lolita Davidovich), Cesar's current girlfriend and Vince's ex, they drive to Las Vegas. Unsurprisingly, the trip opens up hidden resentments, regrets, and mistakes from the past. What's more surprising is how meandering and shapeless Play It to the Bone is; writer-director Ron Shelton is responsible for such charming and sprightly sports films as Bull Durham, White Men Can't Jump, and Tin Cup, but boxing doesn't seem to have inspired him. The actual boxing match does achieve a kind of brutal energy, though it's curiously filled with gratuitous hallucinations of female nudity. Still, Harrelson and Banderas have a nice rapport, and in their best moments they just yammer at each other, not exactly listening but still communing in a kind of rhythmic groove. Also featuring Lucy Liu from TV's Ally McBeal and dozens of famous cameos at ringside during the bout. --Bret Fetzer

Product Description

Two aging fighters in LA, friends, get a call from a Vegas promoter because his undercard fighters for a Mike Tyson bout that night are suddenly unavailable. He wants them to box each other. They agree as long as the winner gets a shot at the middleweight title. They enlist Gloria, Cesar's current and Vinnie's ex girlfriend, to drive them to Vegas. On the trip, we see flashbacks to their previous title shots, their competitive friendship, and Gloria's motivational wiles. (She has her own entrepreneurial dreams.) The fight itself is historic: ten rounds of savagery and courage. Who will win, who'll get the title shot, who gets Gloria, and where will she find venture capital?

Customer Reviews:

Hey!, Davidovich and Liu make this film worth a watch........2007-01-03

These two women grace the movie and it is a pleasure to watch them, especially when Lolita gets that red dress on at the end.

I don't want to give the ending away but do not think, the ending was all that predictable, I mean for the Rocky movies, we know, he's usually going to win, but there are a number of ways to get there.

So, maybe this is the first boxing movie of the new millenium; or maybe it is another Woody Harrelsen sports movie, the previous one I know of being "white man can't jump" of the basketball genre.

Tom Sizemore does fine in his role; Lucy Liu and Lolita Davidovich fill in their roles well enough. Antonio and Woody really aren't the boxing types, not the biceps you might see on a real boxer, but I wouldn't let that stand in the way of the plot.

A little zany, not a classic but not as bad as what some say.

On my short-list of "Worst Movies Ever".......2005-05-16

I'm a fan of schlock and b-movies, so I can't honestly say that "Play it to the Bone" is the worst movie I've ever seen, at least from a technical standpoint. The cinematography is alright. It features name actors and what appears to be a budget. Compared to some of the dreck I've waddled through over the years, "Play it to the Bone" at least meets some bare minimum threshold to qualify as a movie, and that's more than I can say for, say, "Burial Ground" or "Challenge of the Lady Ninja."

On the other hand, I can't think of any other movie that actually aspires to be good and fails so completely as this one. If a b-movie aspires to be an hour and a half of trashy entertainment, provided it doesn't bore me I'm more than willing to sit through plot gaps, eye-rolling dialogue, technical incompetence, etc. When a movie features Woody Harrelson and Antonio Bandares - not to mention a budget - I expect ... I don't know - a plot? Characters I care about? A laugh or two? Something?

I'm not going to bother to rehash what little plot you'll find in "Play it to the Bone." Just trust me on this on: About a half hour in, the movie turns into the most anoying and uneventful buddy flick you've ever seen. Neither of the main characters ever springs to life, which is even more incredible when you consider that Harrelson and Bandares seem to have some charisma. Absolutely nothing at all happens except for some "wacky hijinks" along the way that won't even make you smile. The climactic fight scene at the end is poorly shot and just ridiculous.

The only reason to see this movie is to witness maybe the most collosal waste of time, effort and money Hollywood has pinched off in years. Don't even consider renting this dreck.

Worst Movie Ever.......2004-08-13

Antonio Banderas and Woody Harrelson hook up with a current/ex girlfriend who gives them a ride to Vegas, where they will be boxing one another in a high profile bout. That is the basic premise of the film. At first glance, one would think that such a decent cast would make something of this movie.

Instead, we get a lot of useless yacking, arguing, and spilling of inner most secrets on the road that leave viewers yawning. How I made it to the last half hour of the movie still amazes me, because I did end up asking myself why I was watching this crap when there was probably a more interesting weather report on somewhere. The characters are not even remotely likable.

The fight itself is filled with confusing imagery that really makes little sense. Sex and boxing do not come together well.

This film is so bad that it isn't even entertaining in its horrendocity (new word?). There are bad films a person can watch without feeling as though they have been robbed of two hours of their life. This is not one of them, and I am confident in calling it the worst movie ever made.

I wouldn't recommend this movie to my worst enemy. If I could give it negative numbers of stars, I would.

Offbeat, irreverent, and sometimes....... even funny.......2004-08-08

This film has been knocked down more times than Dominguez and Boudreau in the climatic final fight scene. Sure the story was a bit uneven, but I still liked this quirky buddy/road trip movie for its unexpected and offbeat take that includes a seamier side of professional boxing. Antonio Banderas and Woody Harrelson are likeable stars and I thought they played off each other very well. While Harrelson is known to shift effortlessly from dramatic to comedic roles and back again, this was the first time I saw a lighter, more humorous side of Banderas and I thought he acquitted himself very well. Talented and sexy Lolita Davidovich as their street smart and savvy love interest was as much a welcomed casting choice as Lucy Liu's was a total waste of time other than being the object of Harrelson's vivid backseat description of her femininity prior to a hilarious if impromptu and primitive tryst. A host of cameo appearances fill out the rest of the card. Don't bring high expectations to the match and you won't be unduly disappointed, and you just may be mildly entertained for 2 hours.

Pretty good despite bad reviews.......2002-11-23

I don't know whether it is my own lack of intelligence, or this movie simply appeals to me for some reason - I don't even know why, but I really liked it. For some strange reason the movie felt refreshing, at times exciting and overall pleasant despite broken eyes, jaws and bloody everything at the end.

I thought the characters were plausible, actions and emotions were credible for the most part, music was good. It seemed like a medium-to small- budget movie, definitely off beat, but heck, it takes all kinds, doesn't it?

Description

Judge Dredd - English/French DVD- Big-screen superstar Sylvester Stallone powers this nonstop action hit that's loaded with amazing special effects! In a time when all-powerful and coldly efficient "Judges" act with the supreme authority of both the police force and legal system, Judge Dredd (Stallone) is the most feared law enforcer of them all. But when a former Judge (Armand Assante -- HOFFA) hatches a sinister plot to overthrow the government and eliminate the Judges, Dredd is framed for murder! Get ready for an explosive action-adventure thrill ride as Dredd does whatever it takes to restore justice! Play It To The Bone - English/French DVD -Hollywood heavyweights Woody Harrelson and Antonio Banderas bring real comedic punch to this hilarious, action-packed hit! Best buddies and sparring partners, Vince (Harrelson) and Cesar (Banderas) are a pair of worn-out, over-the-hill prizefighters who jump at one last, unexpected chance to work in the big time. They just have to be in Las Vegas now! So before they know what's hit them, they're on the road! But when they step into the ring that night, friendship is replaced by fierce competition as Vince and Cesar tangle in a dramatic fight to the finish -- where only the winner will earn a shot at the title! With sexy Lolita Davidovich (MYSTERY, ALASKA) and sultry Lucy Liu (CHARLIE'S ANGELS) along to liven up the ride, you won't want to miss any of the knockout entertainment that powers this whirlwind comedy adventure!

Charlie Rose with Anthony Minghella; Robert Wagner (January 24, 2000)

Average customer rating:

Charlie Rose with Anthony Minghella; Robert Wagner (January 24, 2000)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Description

First, an interview with Anthony Minghella, the director who brought Michael Ondaatje's novel, The English Patient, to the screen, winning nine Academy Awards, including Best Director. After a two-year hiatus, he returns with another risky adaptation, The Talented Mr. Ripley, a psychological thriller based on the 1955 novel by Patricia Highsmith and starring Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jude Law. Later, a conversation with actor Robert "R.J." Wagner, whose career in Hollywood has spanned more than 50 years, most recently manifesting itself as the role of Dr. Evil's right-hand man in the Austin Powers films and a role in a new film, Play It to the Bone.

Average customer rating:

Hey!, Davidovich and Liu make this film worth a watch.
On my short-list of "Worst Movies Ever"
Worst Movie Ever
Offbeat, irreverent, and sometimes....... even funny
Pretty good despite bad reviews

Play It to the Bone [Region 2]
Starring: Antonio Banderas , Woody Harrelson , Lolita Davidovich , Tom Sizemore , and Lucy Liu
Director: Ron Shelton
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DTS | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Two Much
Miami Rhapsody
Flypaper
Ballistic - Ecks vs. Sever
City of Industry

ASIN: B000059MRL

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Hey!, Davidovich and Liu make this film worth a watch........2007-01-03

On my short-list of "Worst Movies Ever".......2005-05-16

Worst Movie Ever.......2004-08-13

Offbeat, irreverent, and sometimes....... even funny.......2004-08-08

Pretty good despite bad reviews.......2002-11-23

The only character I did not at all dig was Lucy Liu's. She simply was too trashy for my taste. Besides, I think she is too ugly to play an arm candy... But that's just my humble opinion.

DVD:

DVD

DVD: Amadeus - Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition)

The Duke Ellington Masters, 1967 - The First And Second Sets