I use to really like Play It To The Bone in spite of its flaws, but over the years it's kind of lost a step or two. The movie itself really doesn't hold up well with repeated viewings. Had I reviewed this movie when it first came out, it would have gotten a 4 Star rating, maybe even 4 1/2. But now? Not even close.

So what's not to like about this one? It has everything I like in a movie: Road Trip, Boxing, Vegas, Hot female lead. So where does it go wrong then? I do enjoy the road trip aspect of the movie and heading to Vegas for a once in a lifetime fight, with the winner getting a title shot. But the 3rd act is where it just doesn't deliver at all. Neither Antonio Banderas and Woody Harrelson are believable as Boxers. They don't look or move like fighters and it's painful to watch them dancing around in the ring. The choreography is very weak and it's not shocking that Director Ron Shelton went with a lot of medium close ups to very tight shots to hide the fact that neither could throw a convincing punch if their lives depended on it.

I may be trashing it more than it really deserves, but I'm not. I'm just a stickler for authentic fight scenes that get me to invest emotionally in the outcome of a fight. In this one I am not. It's still definitely worth a Rent.