Starring:
Mark Wahlberg as Vince Papale
Greg Kinnear as Dick Vermeil
Elizabeth Banks as Janet Cantrell
Kevin Conway as Frank Papale
Michael Rispoli as Max Cantrell
Kirk Acevedo as Tommy
Dov Davidoff as Johnny
Michael Kelly as Pete
Sal Darigo as Mick
Nicoye Banks as TJ Banks
Turron Kofi Alleyne as Ronnie Sampson
Stink Fisher as Denny Franks
Michael Mulheren as AC Craney
Michael Nouri as Leonard Tose
Jack Kehler as Wade Chambers
Special Features:
Becoming Invincible: The Vince Papale Story
Audio Commentary with Vince Papale, Producer Mark Ciardi and Writer Brad Gann
Audio Commentary with Director Ericson Core and Editor Jerry Greenberg
Other Info:
Widescreen (2.35:1)
English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
French and Spanish Subtitles
Running Time: 104 Minutes
Synopsis:
The following is from the DVD cover:
“‘Invincible’ is the inspiring true story of Vince Papale, an ordinary guy who, against extraordinary odds, gets a one-in-a-gazillion shot at living every sports fan’s wildest fantasy. Like the city he lives in and his beloved hometown NFL team, the down-an-out Vince (Mark Wahlberg, ‘The Italian Job’) has seen better days. But then the Philadelphia Eagles’ new coach Dick Vermeil (Greg Kinnear, ‘Little Miss Sunshine’) calls an unprecedented open tryout, and the 30-year-old bartender who never played college ball makes the cut. Now Vince needs every bit of his gritty, never-say-die attitude and enormous heart to survive in the high-stakes world of professional football. Heartfelt and triumphant, and filled with body-slamming NFL football action, ‘Invincible’ will have you on your feet cheering for the scrappy underdog who helped his team rediscover its winning spirits, and in the process rallied a city when it needed it most.”
“Invincible” is rated PG for sports action and some mild language.
Mini-Review:
“Invincible” is yet another in a long string of Disney sports movies. You’d think they’d be dropping in quality after this many, but that’s far from the case here. “Invincible” ends up being a great film. It has a great cast, great cinematography, and an uplifting story. It’s your standard sports underdog tale, but it ends up having a little something extra that makes it seem fresh. And I think the fact that it’s a true story makes it all the more special.
Mark Wahlberg stars as NFL legend Vince Papale. To be honest. I didn’t know much of anything about the guy, but Wahlberg makes him an interesting character. He’s tough, enthusiastic, quiet, and he bears every force working against him. Elizabeth Banks is also great as Janet Cantrell. I particularly loved how she was a Giants fan while Papale was an Eagle. Even when he’s playing in his biggest game, she roots for the Giants. Greg Kinnear also stands out as Coach Dick Vermeil. You get a real sense of his neck being on the line as he gives Papale chance after chance.
If you enjoy football or sports movies, you’re going to love “Invincible.”
The bonus features on this DVD are light, but they are good. There’s a documentary on Vince Papale called “Becoming Invincible”. It recaps his career, shows vintage footage, and talks about how the movie came to be. There are also a couple of commentaries, one of which includes Papale himself. You’ll definitely want to check this out if you enjoyed the film.
