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The movie boasts a talented ensemble, telling the real-life story of coach Ingle, who mentored a cheeky Sheffield teenager from Middle Eastern immigrant family. Known as “Prince” Naseem Hamed, the youngster was coached to stand up to racist bullies and transformed into a celebrity titleholder in the late 90s. Ingle cultivated his showboating confidence and powerful punches, but after becoming rich, the boxer turned against his coach, cutting him out and making him a mix of Falstaff and Broadway Danny Rose.

Performers and Roles

Pierce Brosnan plays Ingle; Amir El-Masry takes on the role of Hamed, and Stephens appears as the bullish promoter Warren, who recognized the potential that Ingle had uncovered.

Where the Movie Falls Short

Yet, the movie honestly misses the fighter’s fancy footwork: the fight scenes run smoothly, but the all-important drama between them is consistently flat and monotonous. It lacks subtlety or contrast in the depiction of Hamed himself, and El-Masry, an otherwise outstanding performer, doesn’t get the opportunity to show any depth or much of what might make his character really interesting – even though he’s clearly been working out and looks very plausible in the boxing arena.

Dialogue and Music Issues

The story is repeatedly burdened by functional, explanatory dialogue that inform you exactly what is happening and what we are supposed to be thinking (“Your journey began your boxing journey at seven years old …”). This is the kind of script that streaming-TV producers call “double-screen”, making sure you understand what’s unfolding while you’re viewing the film but also glancing at your phone. And, the score is overpowering, sometimes almost deafening, especially in the moment where the boxer gets too excited calling on the promoter in his palatial residence.

Acting and Pivotal Scenes

While El-Masry and Brosnan do their considerable utmost, their relationship doesn’t quite comes to life, and the big set-piece boxing moments are frequently disappointingly cut short. The most important scene is surely when, provoked beyond endurance in the gym one day by Hamed as a misguided “old man”, the trainer actually offers to step into the ring and box him. All present in the gym is stunned and uncomfortable. How exactly is this extremely unwise standoff going to unfold? How precisely the outcome? Certainly the Prince is going to defeat him? Alternatively will he emotionally hold back? It’s not clear.

Highlights and Humor

That’s not to say that there are no some good moments. Brosnan elicits humor when his character informs a reporter what he’s teaching the kids from his neighborhood: to oppose bias and when you meet a offender, “Punch him in the groin”. It’s funny too when Hamed fidgets at the silly antics the coach makes him do in the beginning: posing as the “beast from the East”.

Plot and Conclusion

Regarding the falling out, the movie shows this as being exacerbated by a tell-all publication that Ingle is supposed to have authored (a plot point clearly modified from another source), and there is an intriguingly conceived last discussion – although the emotional tribute that the boxer is reportedly given to his mentor after his passing is merely referenced in the closing credits, and not dramatised on screen. Some engaging content here, but the punches don’t land.

Giant was shown at the London film festival and is in UK and Irish theaters from January 9.