The Champ (1979) movie review - Sneak Previews with Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel

This is the original review of The Champ by Siskel & Ebert on "Sneak Previews" in 1979. All of the segments pertaining to the movie have been included.

[@footofjuniper8212]

Gene: why remake a film when it's not needed or wanted? Hollywood: okay, we'll only do that 80 trillion more times.

[@seanchukwuezi3079]

Modern Hollywood bitch do I look I care no 😂

[@valerienisbet]

Spot on.

[@diaz5292]

Enough with all that wasted Grape soda!! Fix the damn soda machine!!...lol

[@sha11235]

They both liked the remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, so why is Gene saying that?

[@peterkrug4124]

Gene thought the 1978 Invasion Of The Body Snatchers was a great film, he didn't think the same about this one.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

Gene said he knocked the making of it.

[@bobthebear1246]

Oh good because I was going to say what the hell was their problem with it? It was a great film that clearly presaged and predicted the yuppie generation which was soon to follow in the 80s.

[@elizabethramirezsierra3700]

0:04 This I what going to the movies in the 70s is like

[@seanchukwuezi3079]

Honestly i understand why the two didn't entenally like the champ its definitely that now people will say its a emotional compelling film but it at the time it came out it was criticised for being poor mans kramer vs Kramer or rocky trying to earn Oscars both are great films actually earning their emotional moments drama but the two were wrong as fuck about Ricky Schroeder peformance that ending will make you cry the writing might not be good but the actors make up for it .

[@bobthebear1246]

I can see both their points here but I will definitely disagree with Gene Siskel here about Ricky Schroeder. Forget about the blinking, I think that was an amazingly mature and emotional acting performance on his part at such a young age (he was 9 years old).

[@mikesilva3868]

Great ❤

[@jedijones]

Donald J. Trump: "From Midnight Cowboy to Deliverance to The Champ (one of the best ever boxing movies), & many others, Jon delivers BIG. Also, LOVES THE USA!”"

[@captainharris8980]

Totally forgot about this movie. I recall it being pretty good. Not terrific, but really good all the same.

[@drumtum]

Gene liked Rocky 5.......end of story!!

[@davidnetterwald1846]

Basically this movie was Kramer vs Kramer meets Rocky two better more emotionally charged films where you don't feel like a puppet on a string that is being manipulated. You're not having your intelligence insulted either especially when I watch Rocky and Kramer vs Kramer. Watching this review I can sense that this movie was one of those emotionally manipulative films that plays the audience like a fiddle and tells them what to feel those types of movies get on my nerves and I've never seen this movie but I can tell that this is the kind of movie that it is. Another thing is I could never stomach Ricky Schroeder so right away from seeing him I'm automatically turned off by it.

[@michaelorick2197]

But this movie is remake I like both versions oas

[@Blaqjaqshellaq]

Shameless!

[@keithmayhewhammond5357]

The kid blinks a lot and that's all I'm going to say to criticize his performance. Then he goes on to further criticize the child's performance.

[@keithmayhewhammond5357]

​@@missioncodez I don't know what you're talking about. In the very next sentence he further critiques the kids performance, saying that he was reduced to walking around and crying in his sweet little voice. He then proceeded to mock how often he says "champ, oh champ". He then finished off by saying it was too much before moving on to speaking about the other actor. in the film.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

@@keithmayhewhammond5357 That didn't seem like a critique of the child's performance. That was really criticism of the script.

[@keithmayhewhammond5357]

@@ricardocantoral7672 Maybe. There is often overlap between the two. I just thought the film critic seemed pretentious. I'm sure he is correct about how bad the film is though.

[@imbluz]

I agree with Gene on this one. This movie was too schmaltzy.

[@morgan8757]

i did not like the champ plus i'm not a jon voight fan

[@MafiaKingfishNOLA]

Who is a Jon Voight fan? He is not the kind of actor that has a huge fan club.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

@@MafiaKingfishNOLA I'm a Jon Voight fan !