What's new

HTF REVIEW: "The Champ" (with screenshots) (1 Viewer)

Ronald Epstein

Founder
Owner
Moderator
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 3, 1997
Messages
66,561
Real Name
Ronald Epstein


The Champ




Studio: Warner Brothers
Year: 1979
Rated: PG
Film Length: 123 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 16X9 Enhanced Widescreen (1.85:1)



"The day a man can't take off
his own pants he ain't a man"

There are some firsts I distinctly remember
such as the very first time I cried at the end
of a movie. That was in 1979 when I first saw
The Champ. Watching this film on DVD
over 30 years later, I still get lumps in my
throat. This is a powerhouse of a movie that
hasn't lost its effect on me thanks mostly to
the performance of young Ricky Shroder. More
on that in a moment.

Billy Flynn (Jon Voight) was one of the most
well known boxers of his time. His time, however,
has been over for nearly a decade. Now working on a
race-track and raising his eight year old boy,
TJ (Ricky Schroder) alone, Billy is finding life
a lot tougher to cope with. He's constantly in
debt thanks to his gambling addiction, and he's
been known to drink more than he should.

TJ's mother (Faye Dunaway), is an upper-class
woman whose now remarried. She meets her little
boy by chance at a race meeting one afternoon.
Though Billy is outraged that the boy's Mother
wants back into his boy's life, he finds the
strong relationship he had with his boy slowly
drifting away.
In order to compete with the extravagant lifestyle
of the boy's Mother, Billy opts for a huge payroll
to get back in the ring one last time.

The Champ succeeds as one of the most
memorable movies of its kind due to the superb
script and involving story. Most of all, you
can't take your eyes off the adorable Ricky
Schroder who doesn't cease to move you in every
scene he appears. His performance won him a Golden
Globe award for Male New Star of the Year.
How is the transfer?
Generally speaking, The Champ looks pretty
decent, though the transfer still shows this film's
age. Though the print quality is quite good, the
picture looks a bit hazy, as if shot through cloth.
Skin tones don't look natural containing more of a
reddish tint. There's also a problem with excessive
video noise in most of the scenes involving blue
sky -- most noticeably in a scene where Voight is
walking down a boardwalk. Still, through all of
these slight imperfections, the blues of Shroder's
eyes still peak through.

The Dolby Surround stereo is adequate. What you
hear in the surrounds is mostly the film's musical
score that comes across as loudly in the rears as
it does across the front. There is also the
occasional noise of the crowd at the racetrack.
The sound of a roaring crowd comes across quite
well in the rears during the final boxing match.
What you don't get, however, is true enveloping
surround such as during a rainstorm where most
all the sound remains up front.
Special Features

A wonderful addition to this DVD package
is a full-length commentary by Jon Voight
and Rick Shroder. Never having watched this
film together until now, the two give a very
upbeat commentary. The two talk about the many
Zeffirelli shots and the care that the Director
put into giving the film a specialized look.
Rick recalls how the studio was doing some hard
negotiating with his Mother, but his Mother stood
steadfast and Ricky made the picture with zero
commitment to the studio (the studio wanted a
7 year deal). Shroder tells a story later in
the film where he was set up by Voight in order
to properly emit emotion in the prison scene.
This setup became a sort of memorable traumatic
moment for the young actor. The two actors have
such a great time together, laughing through most
of the improvisations that were captured on film.

On Location with The Champ is an original
featurette from 1979. As the featurette begins,
we are introduced to the Director Franco Zeffirelli,
as you watch him direct several quick shots. On
Location, Michael Voight talks briefly about his
character, Billy Flynn. We learn that 2,000
children were interviewed before the part of TJ
was given to Ricky Shroder. Faye Dunaway briefly
talks about what it was like to work with a child
actor. Voight and Dunaway talk about what makes
Zeffirelli such a gifted Director. We go behind
the scenes and watch the fashion show and fight
sequences being staged.
(length: approx. 6.5 minutes)
A Cast and Crew filmography is included
as well as a screen dedicated to the Awards
that the film garnered.
Rounding out the extras is the inclusion of
the film's original theatrical trailer.
The DVD box suggests that the trailer for the
original 1931 film is included -- but it was
nowhere to be found.
Final Thoughts

There are so many reasons why The Champ
has remained so memorable to me as I am sure
to the many of you raeding this review. It's one
of those great instances when the bonding between
parent and child on-screen comes across as being
so believable and touching.
Buy it and be prepared to cry.
Release Date: July 9th, 2002
 

Don_Houle

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Mar 26, 2002
Messages
103
Location
Northwestern New Jersey
Real Name
Don
Ah, The Champ!

Thanks for the review, Ron!

My mom brought my sister and I to see this film when I was 9 years old and I remember the three of us crying like babies!

I look forward to getting teary eyed again after all these years!
 

streeter

Screenwriter
Joined
May 24, 2001
Messages
1,419
Real Name
Michael
awesome! I've been excited about hearing the reunion commentary ever since this title was announced a while back.
 

TheoGB

Screenwriter
Joined
Jun 18, 2001
Messages
1,744
That was in 1979 when I first saw The Champ. Watching this film on DVD over 30 years later
Umm. It's 2002 not 2012 Ron!! ;)
That commentary sounds cool. I'll have to rent it if it pops out over here but the movie's not really one of my faves.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top