American Underdog

American Underdog tells the inspiring true story of Kurt Warner, an undrafted quarterback who defied the odds to become an NFL MVP and Super Bowl champion.

American Underdog Review

Zachary Levi is one of those performers who, despite his prodigious talent and a career filled with roles in recognizable shows like Chuck, the first Shazam (we need not speak of Fury of the Gods), the woefully underrated Tangled, and more, has never quite crossed the line into full-blown stardom. Now, after having openly and vocally supported Donald Trump in the 2024 election, any chance of mainstream “success” seems unlikely in the extreme. This parallel in attitude, skill, and career trajectory made Levi the perfect vehicle to drive home Kurt Warner’s story.

The only thing better than a movie about an underdog football team/player is an inspirational movie about a real one. While American Underdog doesn’t flip the genre upside down like the hyper-frenetic Any Given Sunday, or leave you with quotable schmaltzy lines like Jerry Macguire, it does deliver a heartfelt true story about perseverance and being a decent human being.

Although everyone involved performs proficiently, few are given much more than tertiary roles with little purpose but to carry Kurt to the next period of his journey. Even Anna Paquin, who plays Warner’s love-interest, barely clocks in enough screen time to be considered a co-star.

That said, the pint-size actress who won an Academy Award at the age of 11 for her role in The Piano gives her usual pitch-perfect organic performance, lending just the right weight to the scenes that need her. Her success in conveying what she does with such little time is doubly impressive when one considers the clownishly awful series of wigs that she wears throughout.  – Seriously, in her early scenes, it looks like she’s wearing a Critter.

With so little given to the other actors and actresses, the bulk of the American Underdog rests on Levi’s surprisingly broad shoulders. Fortunately, for all, he’s up to the challenge. Zachary, best known for his zany, over-the-top, and sometimes childish characters, gives a deceptively subtle and mature turn as the would-be triumphant QB. Except for a marginally inconsistent accent, Levi infuses Warner with the same poise and calm that fans came to know watching the real Kurt Warner launch rockets from the pocket.

One thing that American Underdog does do that most other sports-related films do not is to not prioritize, narratively or practically, the importance of the next game or the next touchdown as a validation of its lead’s self-worth—quite the opposite. By not being shy about Warner’s relationships with God, his wife, and his adoptive family, as well as his early acceptance of their predominant importance over that of the game, his next touchdown pass is elevated to something far more resonant than 6 points and a better contract, while his next interception is put into perspective as just another obstacle to overcome in what has already been a unique and meaningful journey.

American Underdog is a refreshingly good family feature that serves up all of the emotional dishes that you want to sample in a movie of this type- leaving you properly sated and ready to watch the game in your favorite chair with one or more of your kids on your lap. It’s apple pie and homemade noodles for the soul.

INAPPROPRIATE ELEMENTS

Rated PG

• American Underdog is rated PG for some adult themes, and it more or less earns the rating with a few kissing scenes that are extremely chaste by today’s standard but still suggestive enough that I made my 7 and 10-year-old look away.

WOKE ELEMENTS

Nope

• None