“Warrior” written and directed by Gavin O’Conner is a tale of an estranged family of fighters. Tommy (Tom Hardy) and Brendan (Joel Edgerton) are brothers that are years and miles apart. Their father Paddy (Nick Nolte) is a recovering alcoholic that they both want nothing to do with.

In a series of coincidences that is somehow believable, the two brothers find themselves in the same mixed martial arts tournament.

The movie opens with what screenwriters call a “soft hook.” No one gets punched in the face in the first three minutes. Or the first ten, for that matter. Instead we get a beautiful moment of Tommy reaching out to his father in an aggressive way. The two men converse, the scene takes its time, and I loved it.

We are made immediately aware that these actors are both bringing their a-game.

Next, we are introduced to Brendan. He’s a family man. The film takes its time and lets us see his home life. He’s a physics teacher fighting to keep his house. He moonlights as a parking lot fighter to earn extra cash.

Brendan’s wife, Tess (Jennifer Morrison) doesn’t support her husband’s fighting. Her subplot has some of the most forced melodramatic moments of “Warrior.”

Okay it’s time for a Nick rant:

Firstly, the screenwriters obviously wanted Tess to be a strong character. I’m sure they wanted the audience to see why Brendan loves her.

Unfortunately, neither of these things happen. The script doesn’t allow it.

I would give specific examples, but I’d be heading too far into spoiler territory. Essentially she doesn’t support him and then she does. Looking closely you realize, a person doing this in real life would be a selfish bitch.

Secondly, Morrison is way out of her element. Here we see three strong male leads giving it their all, and then a skinny blonde walks on screen and is utterly unconvincing.

There’s been quite a few movies I’ve reviewed this year where my biggest complaint was female casting. Goddammit Hollywood, intelligent women exist! Please cast them.

End rant.

As for the actors, everyone scores big. Hardy is completely believable as a guy who could kick some major ass. His performance is nuanced and powerful.

Nolte looks like the old pro that he is. There are a few moments where the script has him acting a bit too humble but he makes it work. I especially like one scene where he grows some balls and snaps at Tommy.

Edgerton holds up his end of the bargain too. I was afraid the filmmakers would make him some kind of knock out champ. They wisely make his style more subversive. He can a take a hit in and outside of the ring, but come out on top in the end. He looks vulnerable before each fight but then his eyes harden and we believe this guy can take on the best of the best.

“Warrior” must have cashed in on its featured sport. I’m sure financing came straight from MMA. There are times when “Warrior” stops being a movie and just exists as a commercial. I’m not even kidding. 

That being said, the fight scenes are just plain awesome. I loved every moment in the cage. The first time Hardy kicks another fighter was exhilarating. And the film continues to deliver. Hats off to the training and choreography that went into making these brutal conflicts.

Another minor quibble would be pacing. There are moments of this movie that seem a bit too long, others that feel redundant, and some subplots that seem completely pointless. For length and redundancy see the casino scene with Hardy and Nolte. For “why the hell is this scene in the movie?” look at the cheesy moments involving Brendan’s former students and their principal.

Still, the images and conflicts explored in “Warrior” stuck with me. I enjoyed the movie. The climax is more more emotional than physical, the character moments are beautiful, and the action is edge-of-your-seat.

If you want to see three actors at their best, head out to Warrior.

AMC Empire 25

234 W. 42nd Street, 10036

For more articles like Warrior, please visit the Film Reviews Section of TimesSquare.com