Protraph
Lack of good storyline.
MonsterPerfect
Good idea lost in the noise
Curapedi
I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.
Tyreece Hulme
One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.
Louie Kulla
well made documentary film. From nowhere to somewhere. this kind of movie would last. even after a hundred years. because, of substance,relevance and the longing human spirit of all generations. records come and go. but the story behind this man is very rare ..I find it amazing that Manny Pacquiao has risen from extreme poverty to being the wealthiest active boxer today, but yet he does not brag about his wealth and his achievements. Despite his status right now, he remains to be very humble, God-fearing, and respectful to his opponents and fans. I know Pacquiao came from poverty, went away from home as a kid and sold donuts and cigarettes in the busy streets of manila just to stay alive and eventually ending up in a boxing gym. He slowly have risen in the ranks of boxing from being an untrained slugger to the powerful boxer-puncher we now know. But everyone is recommended to watch this and know the details behind his story.
sammy-balamy
Great video for insight into Pacquiao's mentality and background....a real flavour of life for the ordinary people of the Philippines...giving 'hard times' a whole new face.The curious content is that sacked conditioning coach Ariza is portrayed as just as much of a friend or even more so than trainer Freddy Roach, that he's given so much of a voice in the film which derides some of the key people around Manny, then implications are made that Arum is largely responsible for the Floyd-PAC fight not taking place so far....Arum is featured (in a clip so short and edited it could easily be out of context)saying that this fight is not needed and will never take place.Then he's also featured saying that the Mayweathers have been responsible for the breakdown.....All of this whilst Floyd's contradictions of which there have been many were left alone.Koncz is also brought into question by Ariza as was Arum but Ariza is never once portrayed in a negative light, Roach is shown giving him the 'best conditioning coach in the world' accolade in a statement and a journalist is shown saying that Ariza was responsible for Pac gaining more power...which is pure speculation as Pac was KO'ing guys well before Ariza arrived.Pacquiao is shown to behave as if he thought Marquez won their third fight in a heavily edited post fight press conference clip while Marquez is shown clearly stating that he won the fight which echoed the sentiments of the HBO commentators....when in actuality sports commentators around the globe were divided 50/50 over the outcome of the fight........ it's a curious choice of angles and makes me wonder if PAC had ultimate approval of the director's cut.
tdevil9
I agree with the comments from JustCuriosity.The documentary film is understandably biased and tries to win over viewers by tugging at their heart strings. After watching it, I did some reading up and realized that the facts are not as rosy as this title makes it out to be. The documented facts, about why the Mayweather Jr fight did not happen, were not fully revealed. Many viewers will rain glory on the title character but I came out wondering why he is still risking his life, after having achieved what no-one else has achieved, when he has a wife and 5 children. I see only an innocent teenager who has been corrupted by fame, wealth and greed as he grew up. The documentary also throws bad light on his Management and Promoter. But the best part was when the sports conditioner said that boxers are essentially chewed inside and out, and then tossed aside for the new.I'm also amazed at why the title is released so late in the Phillipines (1 year after being released in USA...)
JustCuriosity
Manny appeared to be well-received in its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival. The film is certainly informative for those of us who haven't followed Manny Pacquiao's multi-faceted career carefully. His story of his rise from a hut in an obscure Philippine village to international superstar is a truly impressive rags-to-riches tale. He has managed to successfully leverage his boxing career to move into other arenas including acting, music, religion, product endorsement and most intriguingly now politics. His determination and hard work are extremely impressive as he has risen to become a transcendent figure in the Philippines. The film has a bit too much footage of too many fights and lacks in-depth analysis of who the man behind the fighter really is. The film often strays from documentary into hagiography so that it doesn't feel like a truly objective presentation. It comes off more like an extended campaign biography for his future political career as his boxing career is winding down. Some of the metaphors such as Manny as a "fighter" who fought for the pride of his country and now will fight for the people of the Philippines feel a bit forced. It is difficult to tell if his recent focus on his faith reflects a genuine transformation away from his past sinful ways - drinking and womanizing - or a political tool to enhance his future political career. The film remains informative and entertaining, but needs to be taken with several grains of salt.