Reviewing Movies

A scant 3 years after playing the ring leader in the movie Mean Creek the 25-year-old Scott Mechlowicz plays a sports jock university student who has hopes of a ticket to the Olympics in Gymnastics, good grades, excellent health, all the female companions he could wish for, and a hot motorcycle. He also has bad dreams, insomnia, and a budding relationship with an enigmatic philosopher who runs a gas station and shares his predilection for keeping nocturnal hours. Stunt doubles perform the near-impossible looking feats on rings and horse but the actors have to look the part. Scott, who plays Dan Millman has obviously spent some time in the gym adding muscularity to his lank six-foot frame. I found the movie to have a plodding start and although gymnastics are central to the theme the practise sessions seem to lack interest—the moves performed seem too divorced from the average couch potatoes’ reality and voyeurism soon lacks excitement—these are beautiful people.

When Millman’s nightmares become reality it is his philosopher friend who helps lift him above the realities of an injury that doctors expect will confine him to a wheel chair for life to a chance at actually making the Olympics after all. This being a movie the philosophy behind the title Peaceful Warrior is not well explained and I’m not certain I want to buy into it. In the end it is Dan’s relationship with ‘Socrates’ and the young lady who appears to be his daughter that redeems the movie.