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Movies / On DVD / Million Dollar Baby
Million Dollar Baby

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Million Dollar Baby (2004)

91%
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90%
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91 %
Reviews Counted: 216 Fresh: 197  Rotten:19 Average Rating: 8.3/10
 
Consensus: Critics are calling Clint Eastwood's latest a knockout, with fine performances and filmmaking that elevate clichéd material to new emotional heights.
 

How does the Tomatometer work?

The Tomatometer measures the percentage of positive reviews from Approved Tomatometer Critics for a certain movie.[-]

Runtime: 2 hrs 12 mins

Synopsis: Released a little over a year after the grand success of his Oscar-winning feature MYSTIC RIVER, Clint Eastwood returns to the director's chair for MILLION DOLLAR BABY. Eastwood also stars, in the role of Frankie Dunn, a down-on-his-luck former boxing manager who spends the twilight years... Released a little over a year after the grand success of his Oscar-winning feature MYSTIC RIVER, Clint Eastwood returns to the director's chair for MILLION DOLLAR BABY. Eastwood also stars, in the role of Frankie Dunn, a down-on-his-luck former boxing manager who spends the twilight years of his life running a small, dilapidated gym in downtown Los Angeles. Frankie's previous career was blighted by an injury to one of his prize fighters, Scrap (Morgan Freeman), who lost the sight in his right eye during a particularly brutal bout; Scrap now wiles away the hours working as a cleaner in Frankie's gym. Wary of similar occurrences being inflicted on the prestigious young talent that passes before him, Frankie lets a succession of great boxers slip through his fingers. But when the brash, confident young boxer Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) strides into the gym, Frankie's life is irretrievably altered. Initially refusing to train Maggie due to her gender and age, Frankie relents when faced with her tenacity, spirit, and burning ambition. The combination of Maggie's talent and Frankie's tutelage paves the way for the adroit fighter to rise steadily through the ranks of women's boxing, with the unlikely coupling forming a genuinely touching bond in the process. Clint Eastwood has crafted a boxing film fit to stand alongside classics such as RAGING BULL and ROCKY with MILLION DOLLAR BABY. The scenes between Eastwood and Freeman are a delight to watch, with the two old hands pulling off masterfully understated performances as a couple of men teetering on the brink of failure. Likewise, Swank puts in a powerful turn as Maggie, further emphasizing her penchant for unusual roles, and perhaps even bettering her incredible, Oscar-winning showing as Teena Brandon in BOYS DON'T CRY. [More]

Genre: Dramas

Starring: Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman, Clint Eastwood, Jay Baruchel, Christina Cox

Director: Clint Eastwood
Screenwriter: Paul Haggis
Producer: Tom Rosenberg, Albert S. Ruddy, Paul Haggis, Clint Eastwood
Composer: Clint Eastwood

DVD Info

Release:

Jun 5, 2008

[DVD Details]

DVD Features:

  • Widescreen - 2.40

Audio:

  • Dolby Surround 5.1 - English, French

Reviews

 
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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Ratings Image
N/A

After the somewhat hysterical Mystic River - a flawed work dominated by a powerhouse performance from Sean Penn - this is a far more balanced piece, anchored by three terrific turns and some lean direction from Eastwood.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/20/08
James Mottram
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
N/A

Quietly quite magnificent.

Full Review | comment Comment
06/24/06
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
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Ratings Image
4/5

To steal from Ali, this one floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee.

Full Review | comment Comment
04/01/06
Colin Kennedy
Empire Magazine
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Ratings Image
4/5

The fight scenes are well-handled and Eastwood includes several nice touches, such as the way Maggie practically gallops into every fight, or the smile on Frankie's face when she wins her first match.

Full Review | comment Comment
01/15/05
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon
Ratings Image
4/5

Ripe with boxing movie clichés and slow to the point of distraction, this melancholy tale of an ageing trainer and the girl pugilist he takes under his wing nonetheless packs a stunning emotional punch.

Full Review | comment Comment
01/15/05
Neil Smith
BBC
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Ratings Image
4/5

This film has a quiet confidence that catches the rhythms of both a strong story and engaging performances

Full Review | comment Comment
12/16/04
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
Ratings Image
N/A

Like Eastwood, it's a relic that dazzles you with its footwork, daring and class.

Full Review | comment Comment
08/01/08
Richard Corliss
TIME Magazine
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Ratings Image
2/5

This is Eastwood's weakest work in years, perhaps because it yokes itself to a hot-button theme instead of a story that resonates.

Full Review | comment Comment
07/18/08
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com
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8/10

A devastating act of mercy for one character may very well cost the soul of another.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/28/08
Brandon Fibbs
BrandonFibbs.com
Ratings Image
4/4

Easily Mr. Eastwood's best film since Unforgiven.

Full Review | comment Comment
07/14/07
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound
Ratings Image
C

Million Dollar Baby is a strong contender, but it suffers a TKO in the last round.

Full Review | comment Comment
03/03/07
Nell Minow
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies
Ratings Image
4/4

Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby is a masterpiece, pure and simple, deep and true.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/06/07
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
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Ratings Image
4/5

what's great about Eastwood, is how he turns cliche to cinematic archetype, and throws in a modern twist at the same time

Full Review | comment Comment
09/10/06
Joseph Proimakis
Movies for the Masses
Ratings Image
4.5/5

Performances throughout are superb.

Full Review | comment Comment
01/17/06
Jim Schembri
Sydney Morning Herald
Ratings Image
N/A

Though conventional in many respects, it feels like no other boxing film ever made, due largely to Eastwood's unmistakable presence on both sides of the camera.

Full Review | comment Comment
09/26/05
Scott Tobias
Onion AV Club
Ratings Image
3.5/4

Not glitzy or glamorous, but solidly written, acted, and photographed

Full Review | comment Comment
09/01/05
Marty Mapes
Movie Habit
Ratings Image
N/A

Clint Eastwood elicits yet another remarkable performance from a young actor.

Full Review | comment Comment
07/29/05
Cynthia Fuchs
PopMatters
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8/10

The movie is about fights and wounds and healings, beginnings and endings, that are not only physical but mental, psychological, spiritual.

Full Review | comment Comment
06/29/05
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com
Ratings Image
1.5/5

On the surface it all seems very reasonable, but it exhibits an innate jingoism and its "feminism" is too thoughtless to be believed. An ungainly, smug film.

Full Review | comment Comment
06/12/05
Jake Euker
F5 (Wichita, KS)
Ratings Image
A+

The most unspectacular of major studio productions during 2004 is the most gut wrenching memorable.

Full Review | comment Comment
05/31/05
Steve Crum
Video-Reviewmaster.com
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