The Fire Inside Review: Hits All The Sports Film Tropes, But Finds A Way To Deliver More [Review]

There are a lot of feel-good, underdog sports films out there, but that is not all that The Fire Inside is. Yes, Claressa “T-Rex” Shields was an underdog when she first started out, but her life has been anything but “feel-good.” She has had to fight for everything she has accomplished, which is inspiring, to say the least. 

This film tells the true story of one of the greatest female boxers of all time (if not the greatest), Claressa Shields. Actress Ryan Destiny, who has only a handful of credits to her name before this role, brilliantly portrays Shields. It doesn’t take long before viewers will be right behind her, rooting for her to go all the way (even though most people know how things end up for her). 

Shields grew up in Flint, Michigan, and things were rough, to say the least. Her father was incarcerated and her mother an alcoholic. As a big sister, she spent the majority of her time helping to raise her siblings and be a good role model for them. 

She was introduced to boxing because of her father and his role in underground fighting in Michigan. It did not take long before it was clear that she is good, really good, and that she had the willpower and drive to become the best.

Alongside Destiny is Brian Tyree Henry, who plays her tough-love coach, Jason Crutchfield. He helps push her past her limits while constantly supporting her. Shields was the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing, which is shown in The Fire Inside. However, as the film continues, Shields realizes that a gold medal does not instantly mean all her dreams her realized and that she still must fight for what she wants out of life. 

One of the reasons this movie works as well as it does is because of the two lead cast members. Ryan Destiny and Brian Tyree Henry have incredible chemistry. They are believable as coach and fighter, mentor and mentee, but most importantly, as friends. There are some truly wonderful exchanges between the two where I could not help but smile and even tear up. 

Destiny solidifies herself as one of the top breakout performers of the year, as she delivers heart, strength, and soul into her portrayal of Claressa Shields. Henry, to no one’s surprise, is as fantastic as ever. The two of them on screen are electric, during the good moments and the bad.

On top of these great performances, there are a few other things that make The Fire Inside more than worth watching. 

The cinematography, especially when in the ring, puts the viewers right into the action. The jabs and punches come flying at the lens, which adds an important layer to the film that helps audiences connect with Shields. That said, as someone who absolutely loves The Iron Claw, I feel a bit spoiled by that cinematography. It is hard not to compare the two because of the nature of the “in-the-ring” filming, but it is necessary because The Iron Claw is so incredibly fantastic that it puts this to shame. If I push that out of my mind, The Fire Inside’s cinematography is impressive. 

The biggest issue that I have with this movie is that it hits all of those sports movie tropes from training montages to family and friends gathered around the television watching her fight – and everything in between. Even though I admittedly did not know much about Claressa Shields life story (but I was aware of her career achievements), I felt like I could predict almost everything that happens in The Fire Inside, and I could figure out exactly when they would be revealed. 

This movie all but follows the generic layout of a sports underdog story, but thankfully, it then continues on, exploring the fact that the gold medal did not mean that the world was open to Shields and she still found herself struggling. That, right there, is the saving grace of the movie. 

Thanks to a reasonable runtime and stellar casting, The Fire Inside is a movie I would definitely recommend checking out. It has some flaws, but overall, it is fantastic, empowering and inspiring. I love that it is not afraid to shy away from the difficulties Shields’ has had to deal with throughout her career and her lifetime.

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