Invincible is a working-class jock Cinderella fantasy with the sincerity of a beer commercial, the soul of a Republican incumbent, and the designer-flannel esthetics of an old Bruce Springsteen video.
Invincible is the story of Vince Papale, who was an actual figure -- a part-time bartender who went to a tryout, survived training camp, made the Eagles team, and became a Philadelphia legend.
Even Papale's most famous play, recovering a fumble to set up a touchdown, is embellished, as if Disney can't bear to stick with the facts.
ColeSmithey.com
April 21, 2009
Screenwriter Brad Gann shares the guilt for this predictable cinematic travesty along with composer Mark Isham whose bombastic musical score is akin to hammering a nail with a shotgun blast.
It may not break new ground, but Invincible is an entertaining film, awash in clichés but leavened by the charismatic performance of Mark Wahlberg as Vince Papale.
TIME Magazine
August 25, 2006
What's modestly refreshing about the way this story is told by director Eric Core and writer Brad Gann, is that the person with the largest doubts about going pro is Papele himself.
It may seem that Invincible takes too long to get to the football. But by the time it does get down to it, we've invested enough in Wahlberg and Kinnear to give a damn about the outcome of the all-important Big Game.
