Film Review: UNSTOPPABLE (2024): A Terrific Turn by Jennifer Lopez Adds Extra Quality to an Entertaining and Moving Drama

Unstoppable Review

Unstoppable (2024) Film Review, a movie directed by William Goldenberg, written by Eric Champnella, Alex Harris and John Hindman and starring Jharrel Jerome, Anthony Robles, Jennifer Lopez, Michael Pena, Don Cheadle, Bobby Cannavale, Mykelti Williamson, Shawn Hatosy, Noen Perez, Carlos Solorzano, Julianna Gamiz, Elijah James, Johnni DiJulius, Parker Sack, Benjamin Barrett, Jordan Nathaniel Wallace and Corey Jantzen.

Unstoppable is the true story of a young man with one leg who became a champion wrestler at Arizona State and inspired people of all ages by triumphing against the odds. It may have a ring of familiarity in the formula it employs to tell its story but the movie is a solid effort overall with smooth direction by William Goldenberg and several top notch performances, including the one by the phenomenal Jennifer Lopez as the young man’s hard-working mom. All the elements of a stand-up-and-cheer drama are interwoven into this new picture which works best outside of the wrestling matches although there is a great deal of authenticity to be found in the way those matches are re-created on-screen.

Anthony Robles (Jharrel Jerome) is the inspirational athlete who is at the center of the powerful Unstoppable. It may have seemed like he would have been perfectly suitable to take an every day job and help his mother support her family but he wanted more and so did the mom, Judy (Lopez). Unfortunately, Judy is dating a lowlife named Rick (Bobby Cannavale) who tells Anthony what sounds like what Anthony needs to hear but it’s all a pack of lies. Rick manipulates Judy and takes advantage of her and, all the while, he’s not paying the mortgage and making Anthony feel uncomfortable in his own environment in the interim.

Michael Pena, in a very serviceable turn, plays Anthony’s high school coach, Bobby Williams, who wants what is best for Anthony. When Anthony turns down an offer from a college and is rejected by a school in Iowa, he comes aboard Arizona State going as far as to bypass the discouragement he gets from his new coach, Shawn Charles (a wonderful Don Cheadle). Pretty soon, Anthony finds himself competing to maintain a spot at his new school until things get complicated when the school’s budget eliminates wrestling for a bit of time.

The great Mykelti Williamson serves as Eddie who keeps Anthony employed and helps him in his attempts to be the best he can be from a mental health perspective and eventually guides Anthony to defeat his chief competitor in college wrestling, Matt McDonough (Johnni DiJulius). There’s not a lot of suspense as to what will happen in the final fight but the way the movie takes its premise and runs with it is nothing short of exciting to behold. The characters are well-drawn and believable. Scene after scene fluctuates between sports drama and domestic drama seamlessly.

Judy gets a notice from the bank that they want to take her home and Judy must take the situation into her own hands to try to get control of it. Lopez maintains elegance and sophistication in her performance and we truly feel sympathy for her character thanks to the subtext and emotions Lopez brings to her part. Lopez definitely gives this movie a dramatic edge as Judy must learn to distance herself from her deadbeat lover and stand in her son’s corner to watch him be the person she always knew he could be. This is a strong female role and Lopez nails it.

Unstoppable has some hiccups along the way. Some things seem to happen too quickly and huge obstacles are occasionally overcome in a record amount of time. The true story, itself, probably had even more pitfalls than what’s displayed here but the movie, from a cinematic standpoint, works and will certainly move the viewer.

Jharrel Jerome is personable and smart in his characterization of the heroic Anthony who never gives up even when the odds are stacked against him. Anthony Robles, himself, served as a double for Jerome here and it’s to Jerome’s credit that we never really notice that too much. Michael Pena and Don Cheadle are two of our finest character actors and play their coaches remarkably well. Cheadle’s flawed character, we learn, has a lot of heart and the movie triumphs in its scenes between Jerome and Cheadle, in particular. Meanwhile, Cannavale is appropriately discomforting and turns in some good work in this fine cast of talent.

It is Jennifer Lopez who surprises the most with her layered turn. Lopez was robbed of an Oscar nomination for Hustlers but she will, one day, be rewarded by the Academy. This role is one step further in the right direction for the actress who I have been reviewing for about three decades. She’s come a long way from her Money Train days and this is truly a fine piece of acting for the veteran actress.

While Unstoppable has a few predictable moments, it is highly entertaining and keeps the viewer cheering right behind the mother and son and the coaches and athlete as two battles are fought: one on the home front and another in the wrestling matches the movie portrays. This movie is a piece of film-making that warrants attention from those who love inspirational sports dramas. This film does not disappoint.

Rating: 7/10

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