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The movie boasts a talented cast, depicting the true story of Irish boxing trainer Ingle, who guided a cheeky Sheffield youth from Middle Eastern migrant parents. Dubbed “Prince” Naseem Hamed, the fighter was coached to stand up to racist bullies and molded into a celebrity titleholder in the late 90s. The trainer cultivated his flamboyant arrogance and powerful punches, but after achieving wealth, Hamed turned against his coach, cutting him out and turning him into a mix of Falstaff and Danny Rose.

Cast and Characters

Brosnan plays Ingle; El-Masry takes on the part of the prince, and Toby Stephens is the assertive London promoter Warren, who saw the goldmine that Ingle had discovered.

Film’s Shortcomings

Yet, the film frankly lacks the Prince’s agility: the fight scenes run smoothly, but the crucial drama between them is repeatedly flat and monotonous. It lacks subtlety or contrast in the portrayal of the protagonist himself, and the actor, an otherwise excellent talent, doesn’t get the opportunity to show any depth or much of what might make his role truly engaging – although he’s clearly been training and looks very plausible in the boxing arena.

Problems with Script and Sound

The story is often burdened by utilitarian, expositional dialogue that inform you exactly what is happening and what we are meant to feel (“You started your career at age seven …”). This is the sort of script that streaming-TV producers call “second-screen”, making sure you understand what’s unfolding while you’re viewing the film but also checking your device. Additionally, the background music is overpowering, at times nearly overwhelming, especially in the scene where the boxer gets too excited calling on the promoter in his luxurious home.

Performances and Key Moments

While the leads do their very utmost, their dynamic doesn’t quite ignites, and the big set-piece fight scenes are frequently disappointingly truncated. The most important scene is surely when, provoked past his limit in the training facility one day by Hamed as a misguided “elder”, the trainer in fact proposes to step into the ring and fight him. All present in the gym is stunned and uncomfortable. In what way is this insanely risky confrontation going to unfold? How precisely the ending? Surely the Prince is going to kill him? Or will he sentimentally hold back? It’s not clear.

Highlights and Humor

That’s not to say that there are no some good moments. The actor elicits humor when his character informs a journalist what he’s instructing the kids from his neighborhood: to oppose bias and when you encounter a offender, “Punch him in the groin”. It’s funny too when Hamed fidgets at the silly antics Ingle makes him do in the beginning: acting like the “monster from the East”.

Storyline and Final Thoughts

Regarding the falling out, the film depicts this as being exacerbated by a tell-all book that the trainer is supposed to have written (a plot point evidently modified from another source), and there is an intriguingly imagined final conversation – however the emotional tribute that the boxer is supposed to have paid to Ingle after his passing is merely referenced in the closing credits, and not dramatised on film. There is engaging content in this film, but the blows fail to connect.

Giant screened at the festival and is available in UK and Irish cinemas from 9 January.