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.




