'Unstoppable' review: Wrestler's inspiring story should've been more

WHAT IT'S ABOUT "Unstoppable" tells the true story of Anthony Robles, a champion wrestler for Arizona State University, who excelled at his sport despite having been born without a right leg.

It's an adaptation of Robles' 2013 memoir and directed by the veteran editor William Goldenberg (his credits include "Argo," and that movie's director and star Ben Affleck is a producer here). 

The plot follows Robles (Jharrel Jerome, "When They See Us") through his extensive training regimen and his ascension on the ASU team after making it as a walk-on. It contrasts his wrestling successes with a depiction of an unstable home life, perpetuated by an abusive stepfather (Bobby Cannavale) who victimizes Robles' long-suffering mother (Jennifer Lopez). 

The movie also features Don Cheadle and Michael Peña as Robles' college and high school coaches, respectively.

MY SAY This is a great story, but "Unstoppable" has no clue what to do with it. So its makers turn it into a run-of-the-mill formula piece, in which an underdog battles serious odds to triumph in his sport.

The movie presents Robles as a determined and hardworking young man, pushing himself to the limit and beyond to achieve his wrestling dreams. He's also a dedicated son, always there for his mother when she needs him, ready to put himself on the line with his stepfather for her sake and for that of his younger half-siblings.

This is all commendable, of course, but it's also not very interesting. There's not a flaw anywhere in sight, nor real self-doubt, nor anything that complicates this picture. Movie characters really depend on some of these qualities to stand out and to give the audience something that's relatable. 

These problems extend to Lopez's Judy. The star gives her everything she can, all the charisma and the pathos and everything else you'd expect. But the character is seen solely from her son's perspective, which means she walks on hallowed ground and thus can do no wrong. That does not make for compelling cinema.

This leaves the movie with little to offer beyond the training montages and wrestling scenes and other sports movie staples. They're crafted with authenticity, enhanced by Cheadle's credible performance as the tough-but-caring Arizona State coach.

When "Unstoppable" works, the magnitude of Robles' accomplishments resonates. One of the movie's best scenes finds him joining the team on a difficult, boulder-strewn run up a steep hill in the Arizona heat, making his way to the top with crutches, much to the astonishment of everyone around him.

But there's not much suspense here, or doubt about where it's all going. And the protagonist remains an enigma throughout. We know what he wants, and how he intends to work for it, but we don't ever really know why.

BOTTOM LINE A pedestrian sports movie that should have been something more.