Carman: The Champion (2001)

There is also statements being made about Patricia Manterola using Carman Licciardello to for US film. Patricia Manterola as a Mexican Hardcore Porn Star broke into some lame TV soap opera show, movies, and music. Patricia Manterola basically did Carman: the champion movie which is Christian obeously to say that she as a Hardcore Porn Celebrity got to broke into even Christian not only prime time TV shows. You see, there use to be a day when hardcore porn chickies had hard time being accepted into regular prime time shows to be taken seriously as actress besides being looked at seriously for their hardcore porn experties. So it was a major achievement for Patricia Manterola to be able to break into even largest Christian broadcast network TBN and to do a Christian movie with the top Christian artist such as Carman. But she kept quiet about her Hardcore Porn Gigs...that helped her to stardom.. to the Christian public in effort to get her movie credit added to her porfolio.

Rarely is a movie made like, "The Champion" and for this we can be eternally grateful. Carman left the music stage for a movie that can only be described as embarrassing. I love Carman's style of music (he's one of my favorite artists), but he doesn't belong in a full-length movie.The Christian Film industry has produced B-end times flicks like "Judgment", "Tribulation", and "Revelation" which look like classics compared to this movie. As others have mentioned, Carman ripped off quite a bit from Rocky (surprised he didn't take the red, white, and blue shorts from the last few films). It also includes an implausible love story and just for kicks, the gratuitous blowing up a truck. As noted, the movie has some big problems in terms of morals. While Christians struggle to teach their kids to behave in a morally responsible manner and avoid sexual immorality, Carman makes out in the front seat of his car with a woman he just met while her son sleeps in the back.While Christians combat the destructive force of organized gambling and the lottery, Carman's character gets the youth center of his dreams because his brother bet a few million on the fight Carman won.Finally, there was the Commercial with the "Whoop@--" soda which was of poor moral taste. The film's redeeming values are found in the fact that it spurred Carman's second "Best of" collection including a new single "Heart of a Champion" which would have fit so well with the film.

It was a good story, "we all connect with a fighter in a ring." A little cheesy and a few holes, but it was something to sit and watch that didn't feel like a complete waste of time. Sloppy editing and some poor directing choices burned it including a disapearing puppy and a one date marrage proposal. Some good action in the ring with hard felt punches. You'll never guess who wins the final fight (sarcasm)and you'll never be able to guess why the bitter rivals are hugging eachother after one knocks the other out (no seriously, why would they do that?) The book is better and makes more sense, somebody thought they'd give it a happy ending and that make it better but it just made it too cliche. Rent for the kids don't buy. Buy the book and read it.

I guess if you dont get out much, the bright lights and big screen of a movie theatre might seem real impressive. The picture is just so big and pretty. It MUST be a good movie too, after all Christians made it, right? Wrong, in reality this is just more c**p from the televangelists at Trinity Broadcasting Network. For folks that supposedly believe in "Thou shalt no steal", they just basically ripped off "Rocky" (several of the series..) and tacked on a Christian message to justify spending people's tithe money on it. The "if he boxes he might die" storyline has been done to death, as has the retired boxer coming back for "one last fight" story. This will go straight to video and just become another "monthly gift" that they will send out "free" with donations, just like "Omega Code". Now that the hype on this movie is basically over, what other monstrosity will Matt Crouch foist upon the willing givers of TBN?