Murderball (2005)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Directors:

Henry Alex Rubin
Dana Adam Shapiro

Release Date:

22 July 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Sport

Plot:

A film about paraplegics who play full-contact rugby in Mad Max-style wheelchairs - overcoming unimaginable obstacles to compete in the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece.

Plot Keywords:

Rugby | Paralympics | Wheelchair | Paralympic Games | Greece

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 14 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Joe Bishop	...	Himself
Keith Cavill	...	Himself
Andy Cohn	...	Himself
Scott Hogsett	...	Himself
Christopher Igoe	...	Himself
Bob Lujano	...	Himself
Kevin Orr	...	Himself
Joe Soares	...	Himself
Dave Willsie	...	Himself
Mark Zupan	...	Himself

MPAA:

Rated R for language and sexual content; Rated PG-13 for sexual references and language. (edited version)

Runtime:

Australia:85 min | USA:88 min | UK:85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | Netherlands:MG6 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:7 | Iceland:12 | Finland:K-11 | Malaysia:U | USA:R | Australia:M | Canada:14A (British Columbia)

Filming Locations:

Alexandria, Virginia, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The voice of Birmingham's NBC 13 anchor Mike Royer can be heard during a local news piece.

Quotes:

Reporter: Tell us about Wheelchair Rugby.
Mark Zupan: We had been calling it Murderball, but you can't market Murderball to corporate sponsors.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Q/A: Murderball (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Keep on Workin' (Live Version)

Great, Involving, Inspirational Look At Real People Kicking Ass.

This was a terrific documentary about the sport of Quad Rugby - Murderball, as it is unofficially known - that is, quadriplegic athletes in tank-like wheelchairs, kicking ass and taking names. The film doesn't show them as saints, just as real people with real stories and almost all fed up with society patronizing them. Ultimately the film packs a real emotional punch and will likely get you wanting to know more about many of the people you meet here and what happens to them after the credits roll. It may even inspire you to watch this sport live if you get a chance to do so or at least follow it. I hope this film gets the release it deserves as I think it has serious breakout potential. Based on its' award at the Sundance Festival in 2005, positive word of mouth could be considerable. 9/10