It's interesting reading the IMDb reviews of this film. Essentially, some people really liked it, and the others pretty much hated it. I'm a bit of a boxing fan, and I liked it...better than most boxing films. I did have one complaint about the boxing...the rising fighter here simply had it too easy. I didn't have a problem with the boxing scenes. Boxing movies rarely...and I do mean RARELY...have convincing fight scenes. And the reason is simple -- actors can't box, and they can't make the scenes truly realistic unless they really hurt each other. This film has reasonably good boxing scenes...certainly better than most. Where I do disagree is that a rise to stardom in boxing is that easy.However, I don't think this film was really about the rise of the young boxer. I think it was really about two things -- 1.)the relationship between the boxer and his agent; 2.)that women can't be pushed to the background. And in that, this film succeeds...to an extent.Meg Ryan has had her share of successes and failures in her career. This was one of the failures...it flopped at the box office. Nevertheless, it did show a different side of her than many of her other films. Unfortunately, she doesn't come across as very authentic here. However, I'll give her the benefit of the doubt because I'm not sure how the real woman she was portraying may have acted. Omar Epps was, I thought, quite good here. And he and Ryan do have a certain chemistry together.The 3 supporting actors that have the most screen time here are Charles S. Dutton, who does a fine job as a fight manager; Tony Shalhoub, who does a fine job as a jerk of a fight promoter; and Timothy Daly, as a sports reporter. Everyone else is third string, although Kerry Washington showed promise here.I think the problem with this film is that it's a little of everything, but not enough to satisfy any one group of viewers.

I think Against the Ropes deserves more respect than it has gotten. Meg Ryan did the best she could in that type of character, and, although it was a change from her usual movies, it deserves a chance. It was entertaining and charming, I really enjoyed it. So, just watch it and see what you think, because, sometimes movies surprise you. This film is based on a true story, although it dosen't seem actually real. I found it mostly fictional. I am a big fan of Meg Ryan, but I was skeptical about this movie and it turned out to be entertaining. It may not have been a major box office hit, but it should be watched. That's all I have to say.

I was never quite sure how bad a movie could get until I saw "Against the Ropes". This movie is so bad that it is extremely funny. The performances are over the top and annoying. The music is awful and out of place. The boxing scenes are unrealistic and lame, and the dialog is full of bad metaphors and retarded one-liners. This movie has every element of a bad movie. It has a cheesy uplifting ending, a slow clap, and a slow-motion freeze frame at the end.This movie stars Meg Ryan,Omar Epps, and the ultimate B-list actor Tim Daly. The only decent performance is ring announcer Michael Buffer. I recommend watching this movie on mute, because Meg Ryan is nice to look at.

"Against the Ropes" is not the bad movie some of the contributors to this forum seem to imply. While it doesn't break any ground in a sport that is seen here in a more glamorized way, the film presents us a woman determined to succeed at being a boxing promoter. In real life, Jackie Kallen has proved herself to be capable of handling fighters. Charles S. Dutton, an actor himself, makes the best of the material Cheryl Edwards wrote, based on the real Jackie.Jackie Kallen is a woman who knows a lot about boxing. When she spots the amazing Luther Shaw, she is determined to take him to the top. She realizes she has a thankless job, as she enters an area in sports totally dominated by men. Jackie is not a quitter, as she proves it to the boxing world and to herself. While boxing drama has been dealt with in much better movies, we won't dwelt on it.Jackie Kallen, is played by Meg Ryan. She is at times annoying in her determination to go against the controlling mafia-like people in the business. Omar Epps, as the boxer, appears to do a fair job as a fighter that wants to go to the top of the heap. Tony Shalhoub plays LaRocca, the man who would like to defeat Jackie and show her where she belongs, but she gets the last laugh! Charles S. Dutton, as Felix, the trainer, doesn't have much to do. Timothy Daly, is Gavin, the man responsible for attracting attention to Luther because of his friendship with Jackie.Watch this movie with open eyes.