Everyone loves a good trope-filled underdog story (which explains how the Rocky franchise has nine movies and counting), and Jennifer Lopez stars in a great one: Unstoppable.
Unstoppable is a biopic about Anthony Robles (played by Jharrel Jerome), a wrestler born without a leg. He has to overcome the odds to become an NCAA Division I champion.
It comes shortly after the release of The Fire Inside, which is somewhat similar with its player-coach dynamic and the athlete's home life. Sprinkle in the undeniable underdog charm of Rocky, and you have Unstoppable.
It may be cliched, but Unstoppable is a winner because of its performances. Jerome, who made his acting debut in Moonlight, is phenomenal in the movie. His on-screen mother, Judy, is played by Lopez.
She gives her best performance since Hustlers. Lopez is coming off This Is Me Now, her most personal album. She now gives her most intimate performance as an actress with a role that plays to her strengths.
Unstoppable review

Growing up with one leg is challenging, but that didn't stop Anthony Robles from becoming a star wrestler. He is gifted and garners attention from top colleges, such as Philadelphia's own Drexel.
But his sights are set on wrestling for Arizona State University. Making the team won't be easy, but adversity is nothing new to Anthony.
His home life isn't much easier. Judy is in a bad marriage with Rich, who is masterfully played by Bobby Cannavale. Throughout his career, Cannavale has shown the ability to play the nice guy and assholes (usually the latter).
In Unstoppable, every moment with Cannavale is tense. Even while he sits at the table with his wife and children, something feels off. Every mean word he says during an altercation with Judy or Anthony has venom behind it.
Jennifer Lopez's honest performance
Meanwhile, Lopez plays the woman undeserving of his tongue lashings. She proves that she is a better dramatic actress than she is given credit for in Unstoppable. She might even be better at acting than music, I'm just saying.
It's heartbreaking to watch Anthony see his mother struggle. He is going through his high school and college years in Unstoppable, so his ability to help is limited.
Despite being one of the biggest celebrities in the world, Unstoppable star Jennifer Lopez excels at being real. Her performances as everyday people are her best.

Playing Judy is no exception. Lopez channels a realness that resembles the “Jenny from the Block” who grew up in the Bronx, not the pop culture icon.
Give her credit: she may have had to cancel a tour due to low ticket sales and is more famous for her personal life than her music, but she is still evolving. This Is Me Now didn't age well considering her divorce from Ben Affleck, but it was the most vulnerable she has been in her music.
Unstoppable is home to her most intimate acting performance to date. It should open more doors for her to actually act in things that aren't Marry Me or Shotgun Wedding.
Wrestling takes a backseat
Wrestling takes a backseat to the family drama. Unstoppable is a movie about a wrestler without much wrestling in it. When matches are shown, though, director William Goldenberg steps up his game.
The camera angles used by Salvatore Totino bring you into the action. Despite his past work, including movies like Space Jam: A New Legacy and Ghosted, Totino brings the heat here. During some of Anthony's biggest matches, they utilize quick POV shots that help put you into the singlet and headgear.
Anthony's main rival is the University of Iowa's top wrestler. They face in the NCAA Wrestling Championship twice. Clearly, Anthony's opponent has resentment towards him, but Unstoppable doesn't explore that.
He is kind of like Anthony's Ivan Drago. He doesn't speak much, and he is there to kick ass and leave. Having more of their interactions off the mat would have been nice.
As Don Cheadle's character tells Anthony, the biggest opponent he will face is himself. Unstoppable transcends beyond being just a wrestling movie. One of the sacrifices is the backstory of Anthony's main rival.
Why is Unstoppable like Rocky?
Of course, Rocky was a boxer, not a wrestler. But still, Unstoppable is the same breed of underdog story as Sylvester Stallone's movie.
The comparisons feel obvious — Anthony even visits the Rocky Steps in Philadelphia throughout Unstoppable — but are warranted.
Anthony is constantly told he can't do something in Unstoppable. From making Arizona State's wrestling team to winning an NCAA Championship, he always overcomes the odds. Even being a wrestler is already redefining what is possible for someone in his position.
Rocky endeared himself to viewers because he had the same spirit. He was too old to fight Apollo Creed, and then he became a world champion.
Unstoppable fits enough in its 123-minute runtime to cover the equivalent of Rocky and Rocky II. It covers way more ground and is, frankly, a better movie. The biggest difference is not having a revolutionary training montage.
One thing Unstoppable is not shy about is showing the impact Anthony had on people. He receives fan mail in the movie, and it even ends with kids looking at a mural of him.
It sounds cliche, yes, but sometimes cliche is okay. Unstoppable earns itself one or two cliches.
Should you stream Unstoppable?

If nothing else, Unstoppable is a fast-paced wrestling drama. But it is a great acting showcase for all of its stars, namely Jennifer Lopez.
There have been a few sports dramas made in the last year, including You Gotta Believe, The UnderDoggs, The Fire Inside, and now Unstoppable (ironically, three of those were distributed by Amazon MGM Studios; clearly, they have a type). What separates Unstoppable is how it is truly inspiring despite being filled with sports movie tropes.
Unstoppable is a winner through and through. In a different world, it would be the next big box office hit instead of getting an obligatory limited theatrical release from Amazon. But it still deserves a stream as it hits Prime Video.
Unstoppable is streaming on Prime Video.