maurmcd Having been in the hospital and seeing some of these athletes,I'm not too sure that they didn't put on an act for the camera. I enjoyed the humor but some of it is really a lot of hype. I think it was amazing when it showed the guy from Texas giving a chair to the young guy.That was really very cool. I think some of it was realistic and important for people to see some of what life in a chair is about,at the same time I think it puts all people in a chair in the same class,and were not.Overall I felt it was a good movie,but perhaps could have done without the jackass stunts. Just my opinion. Great athletes!and obviously a great group of guys who share a zest for life. I think they could have shown more in detail of what life is like when you go home from the hospital. I hope some of them get their medals.

moviesleuth2 Without a doubt, most of us take our limbs and our ability to use them for granted. It's not surprising, and probably not something to be ashamed of. The guys who play "Murderball" wouldn't hold it against you, after all, one of them says that he does "more in a wheelchair then he did able-bodied." Still, when we come across someone with a disability, our minds tell us to feel sorry for them and try to help. But the guys in "Murderball" make it clear that they do what they have to do to go about their daily lives, and they won't let their disabilities get the best of them.This is a solid, and at times powerful (though only in a few spots is it hard to watch), documentary, but it is not a sports movie. Instead it's about how people whose lives are suddenly altered cope with it and overcome the odds to become independent. Sure it deals with Wheelchair Rugby, aka "Murderball" ("It's called 'Murderball,' but you can't really market that to corporate sponsors," jokes one of the players).It's good about demonstrating how they live their lives, but it doesn't go on for too long about it. The directors seem to be in the same mindset as the men the film is about: we can do the same things you do, we just have to do it a little differently. This is the best aspect of the film because it makes it clear that that is how people with these disabilities want to be seen as: different, but still independent. The part where they discuss having sex when disabled is pretty funny; everyone gets an instructional video (the movie includes some clips), but nothing is graphic enough to warrant the R rating the MPAA gave it. That's a shame, because the film provides a valuable lesson for everyone. I also liked the story about the guy whose accident was very recent, and how he slowly begins to cope.However, it's awkwardly directed. It gives background into the lives of some of the players, but sometimes it loses focus. Take the Canadian coach, Joe Bishop. He's an interesting person, but since the movie is primarily about the TEAM USA players, spending so much time on him doesn't seem necessary, especially because he doesn't present any information about the topic that we don't (or couldn't) get from someone else. Additionally, some of the dialogue feels scripted, instead of coming naturally. I guess the directors were trying to do too much, which is curious because of the relatively skinny 88 minute running time.The worst part is the ending. It skims over the big game (that is obviously going to come at the very end-that's a given in a sports movie), and there's no dialogue in one of the most potentially powerful scenes, when Mark Zupan meets up with the guy who drove the car that paralyzed him. At this point I felt sort of gypped.Still, it's a great movie, and a valuable learning experience for all.

fwomp MURDERBALL, simply put, is a bunch of quadriplegics in wheelchairs playing full-contact Rugby on a sort of basketball court. But the movie is much more than that simplistic notion.MURDERBALL the movie is a voyage of discovery, telling its characters (the men in these wheelchairs) that life isn't over after a debilitating accident. And telling us, those who are fortunate enough not to be stuck in these chairs, that they've earned our respect, not our sympathies.This amazingly little known Paralympic sport is taken very seriously by the U.S. team, who've taken home the gold the past 11 times. Their specialized chairs are turned into battering rams for plowing into fellow players (the speed at which they can travel are impressive and the impacts at the end ear-throttling).Mark Zupan is one of this documentary's focuses, a quadriplegic with serious attitude, huge biceps, a scowling face, dark tattoos, and, underneath it all, a heart of gold. Having been paralyzed after an accident caused by his best friend from high school, Christopher Igoe, the two have not spoken in years ...out of guilt, fear, and anger. But as the film winds down we see a softening in attitude on Mark Zupan's part and the two come together in an offish but very touching way.The other main focus of the documentary is on Joe Soares, a bitter man who lost his position on team America and now spins his Rugby wheels for the Canadian team ...as their coach. Sparks fly as the two teams meet up for the first time since Joe Soares took over the Canadian team. Joe is also so caught up in what he's doing that he forgets to remember the most important things in his life: his wife and son. At first, I absolutely hated Joe. But as the film rolled on, and some changes in Joe's life were forced upon him, I began to understand his position. The viewer also gets to see Joe grow out of his self-centeredness and into a more loving father and husband.The final focus is on a young man named Kevin, who is newly acquainted with a wheelchair after becoming a quadriplegic from a motorcycle accident. He's bitter, angry, depressed, all the things you'd expect after suffering such a horrific life-change. But Mark Zupan introduces him to wheelchair Rugby (Murderball) and Kevin is instantly hooked. Life takes on new meaning for Kevin and he obviously decides that his existence still has value. A great set of scenes! I'll end this review by mentioning the special features that came with the DVD. Johnnie Knoxville and "Steve-O" from Jackass the TV series, party with several of the members of the U.S. Paralympic Wheelchair Rugby team and it's a great thing to behold. Not only does it show how amiable these wheelchair-bound guys are, but it also shows us how their chairs don't hold them back in the slightest (punching each other, using cattle prods, and jumping off ramps in their chairs and into swimming pools).

poisoned_flesh My thoughts on this film are that this film was well done, considering it was a Documentary. It was better than I expected, I expected it to be a boring old Documentary on some sport, although it wasn't. It was based on real people and how they live their lives having being in a wheelchair. It's not necessarily "action packed" if you will, but it has enough action to keep the viewer entertained. It's not only filled with action, but it carries with it emotion as well as confidence,strength, difficult challenges, and humiliation. It also takes a look at accomplishing your goals, and working towards that completion. I loved this Documentary because it displays a lot of truth to the facts of being a Quadriplegic. By: Steph