bdburmeister Opening with an intense sequence of highlights and lowlights from one of boxing legend Manny Pacquiao's many fights with Juan Manuel Marquez, the documentary film, Manny, hopes to quickly establish that in fighting, just as in life, things don't always go as planned. Within the opening moments, we see Manny Pacquiao, for whom the film is named, eat shot after shot. Then get dropped to the mat."If you're a fighter, truly a fighter, then you get back up."Those are the words of celebrity narrator Liam Neeson, setting the stage for the film's ultimate purpose: to establish Pacquiao as courageous, determined, and tough.He is most certainly that.Manny spends much of its 87 minutes showing the man behind the boxer who has held titles in eight different weight classes. Pacquiao hails from the humblest of beginnings. Raised in a hut in the war- torn Philippines by his mother, Pacquiao recounts how, "Sometimes we would go days without eating." To help his family, he dropped out in the sixth grade. By age 13, he realized he needed to do more to raise his family out of poverty—and so he snuck away from home to become a professional boxer.What sounds like the plot of a campy novel actually happened. The film shows footage of fight after fight in which a small, scrawny, teenage Pacquiao competes, dominating and then knocking out opponent after opponent.The name he builds for himself begins to grow, and with it his world.The highly entertaining film includes a chorus of voices from Pacquiao's life as he moved from the Philippines to the United States to pursue his boxing dreams. From his family, coaches, and trainers to sports journalists and even the celebrities who sought to be a part of his entourage, the film offers a wide variety of perspectives on Pacquiao. Hollywood stars Mark Wahlberg, Jeremy Piven, Jimmy Kimmel, and boxing greats like Evander Holyfield weigh in on Pacquiao's legacy and what makes him such a tremendous fighter and charismatic individual.In an enjoyable but clear marketing attempt to hype the then- unscheduled but highly clamored for Mayweather-Pacquiao superfight, Manny does much to charm the viewer into liking its star. Pacquiao is presented as a dedicated family man, a driven humanitarian, an adorably terrible singer (with singing aspirations!), and the victim of exploitation at the hands of crooked promoters. Meanwhile, Floyd Mayweather, whose role in the film is small, is portrayed as a WWE- style heel—an individual so self-interested and contemptible, that the viewer is forced to want Pacquiao to punch his face off.The overall film is a great ride: Manny is a popcorn documentary with a compelling story, some big stars, and a solid mix of action and humor. Whereas the documentary may fall short for die-hard fight fans, who might desire true insight into his Pacquiao's training habits or technique (and will find little of that here), the casual sports fan will likely be satisfied with the story of a boy who came from nothing but fought his way to fame and fortune.

The Couchpotatoes Interesting sport documentary about the famous Philipino boxer Manny Pacquiao alias Pac Man. Even for people that are not really into boxing or sports in general it's a well done and easy to watch biography of a great champion. It tells the story from his young age as a poor kid in a family that didn't have food on the table every day to the champion he became after fighting his way to the top. He defeated almost everybody in a lot of different categories and earns much respect for the way he did it. Always humble and looking like he's not worried about a fight he has that charming look that makes you interested in his story. The only down point to me is his strong beliefs in a God. If he's a world champion it has absolutely nothing to do with a God, it's because he's the best and that's it. Manny "Pac Man" Pacquiao will definitely go in the list of greatest boxers all time.

David Ferguson Greetings again from the darkness. Growing up in extreme poverty in the Civil War-torn Philippines, sleeping in a hut made from coconut tree leaves, and working with fishermen as a young boy, Manny Pacquiao spent his childhood not dreaming of becoming a world champion boxer and celebrity, but rather wondering if there would be food to eat on any given day. This background is probably what inspired co-directors Ryan Moore and Leon Gast (Oscar winner for When We Were Kings) to focus less on Manny's personal flaws and more on his extraordinary road to success.Opening with Michael Buffer's familiar "Let's get ready to rumble", the film does exactly that. Obviously much of the film highlights Manny's boxing career, beginning as an extremely young fighter with a slight build and carrying through to his record-setting titles in 8 weight classifications, but it also does an admirable job of helping us get to know the man behind the fame.As Pac-Man finds more success in the ring, we witness the exponential growth of the circus environment – his training camp, the media onslaught, the endorsements, the lousy movies, his re-discovery of religion, and his political aspirations. We meet his cutting edge fitness trainer Alex Ariza and his long-time boxing trainer and friend (and former boxer) Freddie Roach. Freddie's story is probably worthy of its own documentary, as he trained under his mentor, the legendary Eddie Futch, and blames his Parkinson's Disease on staying in the game a few fights too long.The film acknowledges, but only in a cursory manner, the dark side of boxing. Manny's first two managers are blamed for some of his early financial woes, as is his business adviser Michael Koncz … and promoter Bob Arum is certainly a guy who deserves a bit more scrutiny. Questionable decisions in key matches are mentioned, but no further investigative reporting is offered … handled just as the sport itself does. This hole would be less obvious had not so much of the film focused on Manny's boxing career.We get a taste of Manny's charm and appeal. Actor and fight fan Mark Wahlberg makes a great observation in his interview, as he points out that Manny's entry into the ring for a fight is filled with smiles and waves … as if he had not a care in the world. But then once he steps into the ring, he can "flip the switch" and find the focus to fight his fight. We also see Manny on talk shows, and in a truly priceless sequence, we go into the recording studio as Manny sings "Sometimes When We Touch" … while being mentored by the song's original singer/songwriter Dan Hill.The film does nice work in letting us see Manny make the move into politics – he's now a twice elected representative in his hometown Sarangami province. There is also footage of him in his ministry as he confesses to a sinful past left behind in favor of his family and clean living. Some of the interviews with Jinkee (his wife) are the most emotional moments in the film. Along the way, we are privy to some of Manny's philosophical thoughts: "Loss is a reminder of what's important in life", and when times are tough, "You get back up. You fight again". Manny's talent has etched his place in boxing history, but his approach to life is what contrasts him from many other great fighters like Floyd Mayweather (whose brief appearances flash enough ego to turn anyone's stomach). That hut in the Philippines may be long gone, but the film shows us that Manny is here to stay.

JustCuriosity Manny appeared to be well-received in its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival. The film is certainly informative for those of us who haven't followed Manny Pacquiao's multi-faceted career carefully. His story of his rise from a hut in an obscure Philippine village to international superstar is a truly impressive rags-to-riches tale. He has managed to successfully leverage his boxing career to move into other arenas including acting, music, religion, product endorsement and most intriguingly now politics. His determination and hard work are extremely impressive as he has risen to become a transcendent figure in the Philippines. The film has a bit too much footage of too many fights and lacks in-depth analysis of who the man behind the fighter really is. The film often strays from documentary into hagiography so that it doesn't feel like a truly objective presentation. It comes off more like an extended campaign biography for his future political career as his boxing career is winding down. Some of the metaphors such as Manny as a "fighter" who fought for the pride of his country and now will fight for the people of the Philippines feel a bit forced. It is difficult to tell if his recent focus on his faith reflects a genuine transformation away from his past sinful ways - drinking and womanizing - or a political tool to enhance his future political career. The film remains informative and entertaining, but needs to be taken with several grains of salt.