Skip to main content

Movie Review - Cardboard Boxer (2016)



Cardboard Boxer stars Thomas Haden Church as Willie, a down on his luck homeless man who is a genuine soul. He spends most of his days roaming the streets, doing what he can to earn a little money for food and reading the diary of a young girl that he found in a dumpster. His nights are a little more exciting thanks to a couple of young guys paying the homeless folks on Willie's block to fight one another. Willie knows it's not the right thing to do but he will do whatever he can to earn some extra money to take care of himself.

While this is a small film it certainly has a lot of heart. Director Knate Lee does a nice job and showing this man's hardships having to live on the streets and the conditions that some of these people have to deal with on a daily basis. None of this would be possible without a good performance from the leading man. Thomas Haden Church gives a lot of depth to his character, which is great considering he doesn't say much, and is able to lead the film respectively. About halfway through the film Willie befriends a young war veteran named Pinky (Boyd Holbrook) and their relationship is one of the strongest parts to watch. Boyd Holbrook as Pinky is definitely the standout in the cast. For someone who isn't in every scene he definitely steals all the ones he's in and gives a breakout performance.

There's definitely a lot to like here but the film is far away from any faults. For the film to be less than an hour and a half it certainly does feel like it goes on for much longer. It has an extremely slow pace that will probably turn off a lot of viewers. There are times when the drama gets a little too melodramatic and heavy handed. Terrence Howard has a role here that feels very underused. It's a role that really anybody could have played but it feels like Howard was cast as a familiar face to use on the poster. He doesn't do a bad job in the role he's just underutilized. The middle portion of the film is the weakest part, Things seem to get a little off track but thankfully the first and last acts save the film as a whole.

This is a small film that probably won't be seen by a large amount of people but it is definitely worth a watch at some point. The performances of Church and Holbrook are worth watching and getting to see some of what the homeless have to deal with might be eye opening for some. Things do move very slow here and at times the drama can be a little much but overall it is a decent indie film that doesn't quite reach it's full potential.

Rating: 5.5/10

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Spider-Man: Brand New Day | Review

  2026 | PG-13 | 145 mins | Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton It has been five years since the last Spider-Man movie hit theaters. Spider-Man: No Way Home was one of the biggest post pandemic movies and was able to capitalize on bringing together all three live action Spider-Man actors. After taking some time off, Spider-Man is back with a new director and a new look at not just the superhero but Peter Parker himself. Picking up right where the last movie left off, everyone has not only forgotten that Peter Parker is Spider-Man, but everyone also has forgotten Peter Parker altogether. Now, living on his own and mostly keeping to himself Peter tries to live a life without his aunt, his best friend and the love of his life. Continuing with his duties as Spider-Man, he has been collaborating with the local police to help track down any villains that try to destroy the city. He still keeps tabs on Ned and MJ as they are now attending MIT and living their life post-Peter Parker. A new t...

Swapped (2026) | Review

  2026 | PG | 102 mins. | Directed by Nathan Greno Swapped is the latest in what seems to be a never-ending cycle of animated talking animal movies. With the success of Zootopia 2 last year and recent movies like Hoppers and Animal Farm also getting into the mix, how does Swapped separate itself from the pack? On paper, it looks like just another generic animal movie with a heavy-handed lesson that the characters must learn and then everyone feels good in the end. Thankfully, Swapped stands on its own and separates itself by being creative with its character designs as well as taking big chances in its plot point. Throughout the movie we follow a small woodland creature named Ollie (Michael B. Jordan). When he is younger, he befriends a young bird, called a Javan, that he shows how to eat the food of his species. After doing so the bird invites the rest of her flock to come and try this food, which makes things difficult for Ollie and his family. Ollie's species, called Pookoos, ha...

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie | Review

  2026 | PG | 98 mins. | Directed by Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, Pierre Leduc After striking out in the 90s with a live action attempt at the character, Universal and Illumination finally struck gold with Mario and his pals in the 2023 smash hit The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The movie went on to gross over $1.3 billion at the box office and was the second highest grossing movie of 2023. It was inevitable based on well the movie did that a sequel would be right around the corner. Now in 2026 The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is hitting theaters with a bigger story and even more characters.  When Princess Rosalina (Brie Larson) is kidnapped by the son of Bowser (Jack Black), Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie), it is up to Mario (Chris Pratt) and the gang to try and save her. Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) set out on their own journey to try and find where she is being kept. Meanwhile, Mario and Luigi (Charlie Day) stay back to help protect the Mushroom Kingd...

Toy Story 5 | Review

  2026 | PG | 102 mins. | Directed by McKenna Harris and Andrew Stanton For over 30 years the Toy Story  series has remained one of the most consistent franchises. The original movie was the first computer animated film and has gone on to be remembered as one of the greatest animated movies of all time. After spawning three sequels, the franchise has gone on to become a cultural phenomenon. Now with Toy Story 5 , the toys are back once again and this time they are taking on a new foe that is putting their jobs in jeopardy. Buzz, Jessie and the gang have their hands full when their owner, Bonnie, has a problem making friends. While Bonnie still loves playing with toys and likes to be imaginative and creative, the kids in her neighborhood and in her dance class only want to do one thing, play with their tablets. Bonnie and her parents are unsure of how to get other kids to want to play with her so the parents end up getting Bonnie her own tablet so she can hopefully interact wit...

The Mandalorian and Grogu | Review

  2026 | PG-13 | 132 mins. | Directed by Jon Favreau It's been seven years since the last time a Star Wars movie hit the big screen. After The Rise of Skywalker premiered in 2019 and was met with lukewarm reception, Disney decided to shift their focus for Star Wars. Over the last seven years the franchise has seen several series make their way to Disney+. These series have allowed Disney to expand the universe and create new stories within the world. The first series, and arguably one of the best, to hit Disney+ was The Mandalorian. Fan and critic reception has been mostly positive for the three seasons of the show. After toying with a fourth season, Disney decided to scrap the idea and do a new Mandalorian movie and return Star Wars to the big screen. With The Mandalorian and Grogu , the movie follows Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Grogu on a new adventure. Now working for Colonel Ward (Sigourney Weaver) and the New Republic, Mando and Grogu are hired by the Hutt family to track d...