THE PREMISE:

"Centers around the life of wrestler Anthony Robles, who was born with one leg and won a national championship in 2011 while competing at Arizona State University." 

OUR MOVIE REVIEW:

Unstoppable, a sports biopic, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) before its limited release in early December 2024. Distributed by Amazon MGM, the film's wide release was ultimately canceled due to the ongoing California wildfires in the Los Angeles region.

The film continues the trend of a subtle career shift for Jennifer Lopez, who has focused increasingly on acting since 2022 with titles like Marry Me, Shotgun Wedding, and This Is Me… Now. It also features a breakout performance by Jharrel Jerome, according to the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), which nominated him for an EE Rising Star award despite his Emmy win seven years prior for his leading performance in When They See Us.

The buzz surrounding the film has been somewhat puzzling, yet Amazon MGM has shown unwavering dedication to promoting it and drawing attention from general audiences. What could have been a gripping story of perseverance and defiance against all odds instead becomes a watered-down and uninspired narrative, adequate for the streaming platform it ultimately landed on. While there is nothing overtly problematic about Unstoppable, it fails to offer anything truly exciting or memorable.

Anthony Robles (Jerome) is a high school wrestling champion who has achieved remarkable success despite being born with only one leg. As he transitions to college, he continues to face the challenge of being underestimated. At the same time, he grapples with supporting his mother (Lopez), who endures an emotionally abusive husband while raising her other children as a stay-at-home parent.

While the elements are all present for what could have been an emotionally compelling story – overcoming odds, the resilience of a determined main character, and a troubled home life – it ultimately feels disappointingly bland. Although I was unfamiliar with Anthony Robles before watching the film, nothing about it inspired a deeper interest in his life story. Rather than delivering a gripping sports drama that makes me root for Robles' success, it felt more like a generic Lifetime movie, the kind I might watch in the middle of the day while home sick from work.

That’s not to diminish the efforts of Jerome or Lopez, whose performances are competent and serviceable for their respective roles. Both deliver solid work, but neither brings anything extraordinary to the screen that elevates the film into the realm of award-worthy contenders, despite Amazon MGM’s apparent aspirations.

I watched Unstoppable at home on the streaming service where it premiered, and unfortunately, I believe that’s the ideal viewing experience. It was easy enough to follow while I made and ate dinner. It never lost me to the point where I wanted to turn it off, but it also didn’t hold my attention enough to feel fully engaged.

While Unstoppable isn’t a bad film by any means, it’s not something I would actively seek out to watch. Instead, it feels like the kind of movie best suited as background entertainment while I focus on other, more pressing tasks – requiring only the minimal attention necessary to keep up with the story.