"Mature and unsentimental. Crowe’s commitment to truthful acting triumphs along with Bierko’s breakout role as his tormenter. "
-- Victoria Alexander, FILMSINREVIEW.COM
A- "At the center of all this richness is another irresistible star turn by Crowe. As his Oscar-winning performance in Gladiator proved, no contemporary actor is better at conveying an uncluttered personal integrity and nobility of spirit."
-- William Arnold, SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
" Crowe delivers powerful punch. "Cinderella Man" first Oscar-contender of the year. "
-- Angela Baldassarre, SYMPATICO.CA
'3.5/4' "The specifics of past-due notices and hunger pains are as important to Howard's story as the prizefights and the period detail."
-- John Beifuss, COMMERCIAL APPEAL (MEMPHIS, TN)
3/4 "...won't ever be considered among the great boxing movies. But it does captivatingly encapsulate the guts and gumption that made Braddock such an inspiration..."
-- Rob Blackwelder, SPLICEDWIRE
3/4 "Honestly, how can you not root for a movie about a Depression-era underdog prizefighter who beats the odds and wins it big? It seems anti-American or something."
-- Kit Bowen, HOLLYWOOD.COM
3/4 "Crowe's touching portrayal is instrumental in recruiting the audience's sympathies from the get-go."
-- Matt Brunson, CREATIVE LOAFING
"Sure, it's obvious and corny. But there's something lovable about this dated movie and its adorable characters. Basically, imagine if Seabiscuit didn't suck."
-- Sean Burns, PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY
3/4 "Cinderella Man may not be subtle, but it’s reminiscent of the well-crafted popular entertainments of Hollywood’s Golden Age, blarney and all."
-- Peter Canavese, GROUCHO REVIEWS
3.5/4 "When was the last time you saw a truly feel-good movie about men beating the crap out of each other?"
-- Sarah Chauncey, REEL.COM
6/10 "The rhythms are so familiar it threatens to numb the mind. One at once admires the skill behind it while feeling guilty about falling for it yet again."
-- Jeffrey Chen, WINDOW TO THE MOVIES
B+ "Actor Russell Crowe, who looks like he stepped right out of the 1930's, can apparently do anything and costar Zellweger has never been more appealing..."
-- Laura Clifford, REELING REVIEWS
3.5/4 "An endearing story that will keep you at the edge of your seat, the edge of a cheer, the edge of a tear."
-- Ross Anthony, HOLLYWOOD REPORT CARD
'3/4' "Rings of formula but has moxie to spare." -- Jeanne Aufmuth, PALO ALTO WEEKLY
2/5 "Ron Howard and Russell Crowe have once again combined their efforts to create a big Hollywood biopic that exudes the strong whiff of Oscar bait."
-- Marjorie Baumgarten, AUSTIN CHRONICLE
2.5/5 "Its charms are skin-deep and rote, technically proficient and signifying very little."
-- Josh Bell, LAS VEGAS WEEKLY
3.5/4 "A tad bipolar, Cinderella Man's still remarkable film making...Russell Crowe is again, master and commander of what it is he does so well."
-- Emily Blunt, BLUNT REVIEW
4.5/5 "A powerful combo of history, sentiment and knowing how to ring an audience's bell. The choice of this man to portray, and the man who portrays him are the knockout punches."
-- Jules Brenner (FC), VARIAGATE.COM
5/5 " One of the best films of the year, it speaks to the heart and models a working-class hero whose riches have nothing to do with money."
-- Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, SPIRITUALITY AND HEALTH
3.5/4 "If there were ever any doubt that Russell Crowe is the greatest screen actor of his generation, Cinderella Man should put matters to rest."
-- Robert W. Butler, KANSAS CITY STAR
4/5 "It will give you hope."
-- Kevin Carr, 7M PICTURES
1/4 "Crowe deserves better than this--so do you."
-- Walter Chaw, FILM FREAK CENTRAL
3.5/4 "Tears are likely to be shed at the end of Cinderella Man, but thanks to Crowe and Howard you won’t know how or where the sucker punch will be coming from."
-- Erik Childress, EFILMCRITIC.COM
B+ "...for the more mature audience that would rather a good story than copious F/X, “Cinderella Man” will fill that particular bill."
-- Robin Clifford, REELING REVIEWS
