Bland drama lacking any substantial tension. Meandearing subplot involving a romantic interest is not needed. Nice turn from Tommy Flanagan as the charasmatic fight promoter. Overall, thumbs down.

It's basically a rehash of all those down on your luck, fighting 'literally' your way to the top movies. It's no 'Rocky' and there's nothing new or exciting to set it apart but if you like that sort of movie on a much lower budget it's entertaining enough.

This film start with two men fighting, and the introduction of the main character "Ali" scene! As turnout, this film is about Ali need to contend in the world of underground fighting, to eventually have money to save his mother with cancer! Entire film full of boring conversation, and super annoying overuse scene! Such as, overuse of the dreaming scene, overuse of the drinking scene, overuse of the eating scene, overuse of the driving scene, overuse of the calling names scene, overuse of the arguing scene, overuse of the walking scene, overuse of the training scene, overuse of the cheering from the crowd scene, overuse of the collecting bet scene, overuse of the kissing scene, and overuse of the flirting scene! Make the film unwatchable! All the fighting scene have blood at certain point, but overall portray by sideways, portray by long angle, have slow motion, repeat same move constantly, and messy! Make the film frustrated to watch! At the end, Ali winning the rematch with Bas, and saving his mother! Still have a post credit scene! Ali, and his girlfriend "Heidi" watching Star Wars together! That's it! Another disappointed film!

Well, i think this is a predescessor for a forthcoming blockbuster on the silverscreen calender, and if your a lover of shadowboxing and real fistfights with quick knockouts this might be one for you. for the rest of you feinsmackers around the world , this is not a blockbuster at all. its persian ali, or alexander the great, who is into wrestling, that does an exhange student year in california,usa at the time of the iranian revolution and the iran/iraq war starts, he tries to get his family in safety, but they are stopped and father ,a high rank military, are killed, and mum is put in house arrest. ali then has to pay bribes to a local iranian boss to try to get his mum to safety, and that the groundpillar of the plot. its is a film that tries its best, and they do have some engaging and quite realistic underground fist fights, but the audience are the same in all fight scenes,and some of the school scenes and that gives a low budget impression. also a film that tries to emotional, with a little bit of love here and there, but its overcliched and does not wave welcome to the ladies of the audience. how things turns out in the end, i shall not tell, its not a boucket' of roses and it has a great lack of blood and gore, allthough there are piles of testosterone in the crowd, and a world record breaking beard growth on one of the mains, from gillette to hairy corsette in a blink of an eye. the grumpy old man, not having the fight genre as favourite, had to view this because of flannerhy, impressed, no but its a recommend in the end

Shaun Paul Piccinino directs American Fighter and you can tell from the fight scenes that Piccinino (said Peach-ah-nino) has a vast amount of experience in the stunt business. The film's cinematography doesn't blow you away, but what the director does, is choose to go with a realistic approach to the fights. Gone is the blood and gore that has become a staple of the genre; we don't get any dramatic slow-motion punches and heads swing around with sweat spinning off. We get a rawness and fast-paced energy in each fight that helps keep the narrative at the centre of the film, while still satisfying the fight fans needs. The choice to go with the gritty rather than glitzy was a bold choice but one that was well made and gave the film a realism. Being a movie set in the 80s the use of the training and fight montages fits more snuggly than it does in today's movies and the choices of homage to Rocky and some other 80s classics make this fun to watch.