Overall The Fighter is a touching, soulful knockout of a movie.

Both Wahlberg and Bale are excellent in their different registers, as are Melissa Leo and Amy Adams as the differently calibrated women.

Wahlberg, always so physically solid, is deep inside himself in this role.

While at its core, The Fighter does become a predictable boxing comeback film building to that Hollywood ending, the performances and acting clinic in action are worth your attention and audience.