Murderball (2005): Dir: Henry Alex Rubin, Dana Adam Shapiro / Featuring: Joe Soares, Mark Zupan, Keith Cavill: Riveting documentary about retaliating against one's flaws or faults. It regards a contact sport where wheelchair impaired can arm their wheelchairs and become part of a sport where no padding exists. The basketball court is to their total disclosure. They can pass the ball and touch down but they can also ram their opponents. Directors Henry Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro create one of the best and most intriguing documentaries ever filmed. They focus on three particular individuals whose limitations are generated towards celebrating the turning of that limitation towards a talent. Joe Soares is cut from the American team and retaliates by coaching Canada. He has a son who plays the violin and who yearns for his father's attention and approval. Mark Zupan tells of the accident rendered his condition. He was sleeping on the back of a truck unknown to a friend and an accident occurred that rendered his condition. Keith Cavill learns to accept his condition after a dirt bike accident. Not only does this documentary examine this wheelchair full contact sport but it demonstrates how God can use our weaknesses for greater glory so that others can surpass despair and render a difference in their own lives as well as bring hope to others. Score: 10 / 10

Having been in the hospital and seeing some of these athletes,I'm not too sure that they didn't put on an act for the camera. I enjoyed the humor but some of it is really a lot of hype. I think it was amazing when it showed the guy from Texas giving a chair to the young guy.That was really very cool. I think some of it was realistic and important for people to see some of what life in a chair is about,at the same time I think it puts all people in a chair in the same class,and were not.Overall I felt it was a good movie,but perhaps could have done without the jackass stunts. Just my opinion. Great athletes!and obviously a great group of guys who share a zest for life. I think they could have shown more in detail of what life is like when you go home from the hospital. I hope some of them get their medals.

One has to take one's hat off to the creators of this amazing documentary. Henry Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro deserve congratulations because what they have accomplished with the material they present in the film.The men we meet could have easily accepted the lemons life got them, but instead, they decided to make lemonade by getting involved in a brand new game for handicapped people that wouldn't otherwise be involved in any kinds of sports. "Murderball" is an intense physical activity for even healthy individuals. Many would have trouble practicing this form of competitive challenge the way most of the people do in the film.Everyone one meets show a determination not to be sidetracked by the injuries, or the events that changed their lives. They are to be commended because of their desire to make do with what destiny gave them and take it to a higher level of endurance that involves probably a lot of pain. These men prove to what extent their sheer will power made them adopt the sport that kept their competitive spirits alive."Murderball" should be seen by people who are facing difficulties because these men are a true inspiration in how one can get out of a dire situation to make something out of themselves.

Murderball is another name for the form of full contact rugby played by quadriplegics in strengthened chairs described as "Mad Max" style vehicles. This film follows some of the players for the various national teams as they prepare to come together to compete in the 2004 Paralympics in Athens, Greece.I must admit that seeing MTV flash up as one of the production companies didn't really make me have high hopes for this documentary and, although interesting, you can see their values stamped all through this film and sadly acting to its detriment. The film looks at the world of wheelchair rugby, a sport I don't have that much interest in, but by doing so it gets close to the characters and this is where the film tries to be. In theory this should have been fascinating but it was only OK mainly because the delivery is far too superficial and cheerful; it is typically MTV glossy fare and it prevents the documentary really getting to grips with the people. The message to the target audience seems to be no more than "quadriplegics are people too" which is worthy enough but for most viewers is hopefully not going to count as news and, like me, they may want more depth than just that.The film doesn't really "do" depth though and instead it looks at the basics of the people along with the basics of the sport. This just about does the job in terms of keeping the film moving but it is not what I consider a documentary and not that good when you consider the subject matter. Likewise the film does a bad job with the sport itself – it is not presented with excitement and it is not used well as a frame. The action is delivered in slow-motion with musical coverage and other than the odd collision I never got the feel for the sport or even an interest in it (I say this as someone who does watch parts of the Paralympics when they are on the BBC). The characters are OK but nobody really opens up that much and again the film seems happiest on the surface of their lives and doesn't want to probe at any point.Overall this is a solid documentary but not one that ever does much more than the basics. For the MTV target audience this will work but for those of us used to more substance the effect will be to produce disappointment. It is interesting but it is of limited value due to its apparent reluctance to get beneath the surface and really probe or even to do justice to the sport that it pertains to be about. Solid documentary but not much more than that.