Against the Ropes – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Against the Ropes

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2004

28%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

A female boxing promoter fights the boys' club in this critically demolished 2004 sports drama that's more knockout boring than inspiring.

11%

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Against the Ropes

movie

PG-13, 2004

28%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

A female boxing promoter fights the boys' club in this critically demolished 2004 sports drama that's more knockout boring than inspiring.

11%

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Screenwise Verdict

Look, I want to support movies about women breaking barriers in sports. I really do. But Against the Ropes is simply not good.

With an 11% critic score and 29% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, this isn't a hidden gem that critics missed—it's a formulaic, poorly-executed sports drama that wastes an interesting true story. The boxing sequences are forgettable, the character development is thin, and the whole thing feels like it was assembled from a 'Sports Movie Clichés' kit.

If you want to teach your teens about women in sports management, just watch a documentary about the real Jackie Kallen or read an article. This movie will put everyone to sleep before any meaningful conversations can happen. There are dozens of better sports movies with female leads (Bend It Like Beckham, A League of Their Own, Million Dollar Baby) that are actually watchable.

Skip it unless you're doing some kind of 'worst sports movies of the 2000s' marathon.

Age Fit

Common Sense Media suggests 14+ for boxing violence and mature themes. Honestly though, even teens would likely find this boring—it's really only for adults who are either curious about Jackie Kallen's story or are completists of early 2000s sports dramas.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Boxing drama with a female empowerment angle, but formulaic underdog story lacks emotional depth. The male-dominated sports world setting includes typical locker room attitudes and conflict-driven relationships rather than modeling cooperation. Pacing is conventional sports-movie fare.

Imaginative

Extremely derivative sports movie following every predictable beat of the genre. Based on a true story but fictionalized to the point of cliché. Offers zero creative spark, no fresh perspective on boxing or gender barriers, just paint-by-numbers plotting. Critics panned it universally (11% RT) for lack of originality.

Safe

PG-13 territory (Common Sense rates 14+) with boxing violence, likely some strong language and adult themes around gender discrimination. No extreme content but the sports violence and mature workplace dynamics make it inappropriate for younger viewers. Standard sports movie fare without shocking elements.

Enriching

Attempts to tell a story about a woman breaking barriers in male-dominated sports, which could spark conversations about gender equity. However, the execution is so poor (36 Metacritic, 5.3 IMDb) that any potential lessons are buried under formulaic plotting and weak characterization. More tedious than enlightening.

Parent Info

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Why It Might Be Great

Features a rare female protagonist in the male-dominated boxing world, which could spark conversations about gender barriers
Based loosely on real boxing promoter Jackie Kallen's career, offering a glimpse into sports management
Standard underdog sports narrative might appeal to die-hard fans of the genre who've already watched everything else

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What to Watch For

Boxing violence and likely strong language appropriate for teens 14+
Formulaic plotting that even adults found tedious (11% critic score isn't a typo)
Early 2000s gender dynamics that may feel dated or cringe by 2025 standards
This is genuinely hard to sit through—even if the premise sounds interesting, the execution is rough

Conversation Starters

"What jobs or activities do you think are still harder for women to break into today?"
"The movie shows someone fighting to be taken seriously—when have you felt like people underestimated you?"
"Why do you think this movie got such terrible reviews even though it's about an interesting real person?"

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