Watch Hands of Stone For Free

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

You have been warned. There will be plenty of pun jabs in this review, but please don't count me out yet. Roberto Duran, the legendary Panamanian boxer, is in the center ring in Writer-Director Jonathan Jakobuwicz' bio pic "Hands of Stone". Jakobuwicz features Duran Duran, and more of Duran; I just did that so I could include one of my favorite bands of all time in this review. Anyways, Edgar Ramirez stars as Duran in a bit over-the-top performance but still had a few uppercuts in his work. The film features Duran as a child living in the Panamanian slums, and then as a young man who loved the boxing game, next his eventual rise into the ring, and lastly his legendary battles with boxing champion Sugar Ray Leonard. Jakobuwicz also presents Duran's personal life in his relationship with his girlfriend and then wife Felicidad. But this movie is very much also about Duran's seasoned trainer Ray Arcel, who is played with plenty of punch by the great Robert DeNiro. Arcel had a wealth of experience training champion boxers, but ran into a mob squad that physically & mentally forced him out of boxing. Years later, Arcel discovers Duran, and thought it was time to get back in. There is no doubt that Jakobuwicz does get a bit showy in several of the film's scenes; but you know what, I found them to be in the ropes of "guilty pleasure" watching. DeNiro, who needs no training in the thespian world, was brilliant as Arcel. I also enjoyed the first card supporting work from John Turturro as a mobster, Ruben Blades as Duran's manager, and Usher (yes, that Usher) as Sugar Ray Leonard. Sure, there lots of cheesy stuff in "Hands of Stone" that have a familiar ring to it, and yes I do think many will be sparring partners of mine by disagreeing with me on that it was an entertaining bio flick; but I don't see why you should not go head to head and eye to eye with "Hands of Stone". **** Good

I saw this at home on DVD from my public library. This is not my wife's type of movie so she skipped. My dad was a big fan of 'boxing', when I was a kid he even listened to some fights on the radio at night. But the purists don't call it 'boxing', no it is 'fighting', as in "Prize Fighting." I've never been a fan, but I do enjoy seeing a good biography.Many consider Roberto Duran the greatest champion of all time, but that debate will never end. He had a 34-year career, starting as a professional at age 16. The story here starts where he grew up in Panama, when he was nearing 20. Panama itself was against the USA occupation but the Panama Canal was at stake. Duran grew up in poverty, and grew up fighting for what he needed. Basically a street brawler, which naturally took him into fighting in the ring as a way to make money.He wanted to be world champion so he went to New York to look up famed trainer Ray Arcel, who at first didn't want to have anything to do with him. However he recognized Duran's innate ability and knew, if he could get Duran to focus and develop a fight strategy, instead of just brawling, he could beat anyone. Much of the 'boxing' part of the movie focuses on his bouts with Sugar Ray Leonard, at first bitter adversaries but later in life friends. Edgar Ramírez is excellent as Roberto Durán, so is Robert De Niro as Ray Arcel, and the singer Usher Raymond as Sugar Ray Leonard. Excellent movie. As an aside De Niro's real life daughter has a role as Arcel's daughter.

For a biographical movie is good, mainly because, unlike to others in this genre, the actors speaks in the languages of the real people they portraits. But for a boxing movie, at times fails with the romantic drama scenes but mainly for the over egocentric personality of the main character, Roberto Durán. Also the script doesn't show the public enough matches. The highlights of the film, obviously, is Edgar Ramirez performance, but in my opinion, gives me a mixed perspective...in one hand, a confident and charismatic Durán, in the other hand, sadly, a man who blames his father for leaving his family and uses that as an excuse for his hate to U.S.A. is kinda annoying, also he thinks he's unstoppable even with his coach, Ray Arcel, played by Robert de Niro. Despite all this, the simple script is saved by some aspects. One is the costume design, because the movie occurs in many years, and the clothes tells us the time In which the characters live. The good technical aspects, like photography, sound mixing and editing, and film editing too, gives the film a better look. In overall, this movie is better enjoyed if you seek a mix between sports, drama and romance but not at its best.

"In 66 seconds Roberto Durand changed my life." Ray Arcel (De Niro) was one of the best boxing managers in history until he crossed the mob. He promised to step away from the game, but then he met Roberto Durand (Edgar Ramírez). Both lives, and the sport of boxing is changed forever and the only person that can stop Durand's rise is himself. I was looking forward to watching this movie since I am a huge sports movie fan and it had De Niro in it. First of all this was a very very good movie that had great drama and great acting. The fact that this is a true story made this even better and I do recommend this movie. That being said, I watched the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary about this subject a few years ago, and to me that was better than this. That being said, the movie is still very good and if you haven't seen the documentary you will love this, as for me I really really liked it. I think my problem was that the movie stayed so true to the actual story, even the fights are shot for shot how they actually happened, that it didn't really add anything that I hadn't known already. Overall, a great movie that is worth seeing because the story is full of everything a movie should have. The documentary, however, was better and it hurt the movie for me a little bit. I give this a B.