Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

American Underdog Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman February 27, 2022

American Underdog tells a story that is ostensibly true and unique to the life of football star Kurt Warner (played by Zachary Levi in the film), but that doesn't necessarily mean you haven't seen it before, at least in its broadest outlines. This is yet another tale about unexpected victory on the sports field, as well as certain emotional maturation that has to take place to help assure that victory, all within the context of what might be generically termed "Christian cinema". But here's where things get kind of interesting, at least in a "meta" sense: Anna Paquin, who portrays Kurt's wife Brenda, is on hand in some interviews included as supplements that she is not a "believer" in any way, shape, or form, which Paquin insists did not color her characterization of the apparently very devout Brenda, but which is nonetheless a rather bracingly honest thing for an actress tasked with depicting someone with a profound faith to go on record admitting. Also in the at least slightly unexpected category is the bantering and kind of deprecatory (both self and aimed elsewhere) senses of humor of both Zachary Levi and the real Kurt Warner, both of whom are also on hand in the supplements (Kurt and Brenda Warner co-produced the film), something that may at least give the perception that this particular "congregation" (so to speak) doesn't take itself too seriously, all things considered.

American Underdog begins with some archival video of a guy who might be termed an American Overdog (that makes sense, doesn't it?), Joe Montana, making football history by achieving the most passing yards and being named MVP in the nineteenth Super Bowl which was played on January 20, 1985. A young Kurt is shown watching the game on television and makes a vow that some day he'll be "that guy", though events seem to be conspiring to keep him from achieving that dreamed of goal. In true sports film fashion, the story kind of elides things, segueing from Kurt as a starry eyed youngster to Kurt as a still starry eyed young man attending college at the University of Northern Iowa. Kurt is busy trying to edit a supposed "highlights reel" of his college playing, though a buddy convinces him to come to a bar where there's line dancing. It's there that Kurt meets his future wife Brenda, though it takes a while for the two to actually get married.

There are a number of "human interest" elements in this tale which are in fact alluded to by the real life Brenda Warner in one of those aforementioned supplemental interviews where she states she doesn't like "sports movies" and doesn't consider American Underdog to actually be one. It turns out Brenda is divorced and the single mother of two children, one of whom is disabled. The film documents a kind of "stand up guy" aspect to Kurt's character when he doesn't seem to care about Brenda's past, at least in terms of forging a new relationship moving into the future with her, and he becomes a loving surrogate father to her kids.

But of course this is a "sports film" in some manner, and playing out simultaneously with the sometimes melodramatic romantic angle are trials and tribulations suffered by Kurt as he attempts to realize his lifelong dream. There are some almost melancholic elements at play in some of these scenes, as in one vignette where Kurt, consigned to stocking shelves in a grocery, looks at cereal boxes emblazoned with images of sports heroes and of course wonders if he'll ever see his likeness there. American Underdog capably presents the hoary thesis that hard work and determination will ultimately pay off, and it probably goes without saying (at least to anyone with an inkling of the real life Warner's story) that dreams do come true, at least for focal characters in uplifting movies.

As undeniably effective as a lot of American Underdog is, there's a certain clunkiness to quite a bit of the writing, which is at least offset by some really nicely nuanced performances from both Levi and Paquin. Levi's similarity in appearance to the real life Warner is mentioned in the supplements and helps to establish some putative verisimilitude. While Paquin has at least some resemblance to the real life Brenda Warner, her cropped haircut and general facial features may remind some of the real life focal character depicted in another relatively recent biopic, The Eyes of Tammy Faye. The supporting cast has a litany of colorful character work from the likes of Dennis Quaid (as Dick Vermeil) and Adam Baldwin (as Terry Allen). Siblings Andrew and Jon Erwin, who have already given faith based filmgoers several previous efforts like I Can Only Imagine, keep things appropriately intimate most of the time, but still manage to invest the football scenes with some quasi-epic sweep.

American Underdog Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

American Underdog is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. Captured with a variety of Arri Alexa models and finished at 4K, at least according to some online data (which I have not been able to independently verify, for those who care about such things), this is a sharp and well detailed looking presentation, at least within the context of a "down to earth" story that doesn't offer a bunch of opportunities for mind blowing CGI and/or other bells and whistles. Quite a bit of the film offers a rather neutral palette, though the bright purples of University of Northern Iowa's Panthers pop extremely well, and later "Rams blue" makes impressive appearances. Fine detail is generally very good throughout, including in some rather wide framings where things like the crossknit texture of jerseys can still be made out. This is another Alexa capture where I felt there was a bit of murk in some of the more dimly lit material, which can lead to slight deficits in fine detail, but overall this is a great looking presentation. I noticed no compression issues.

American Underdog Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

American Underdog features an intermittently propulsive Dolby Atmos track, but as even Brenda Warner mentions, this may not be a "sports movie" as much as a personal story, and as such, there's quite a bit of quieter dialogue material here where surround activity tends to be limited to ambient environmental effects. The football sequences offer a good deal more immersion and tend to be where the Atmos channels are most effectively employed, especially in terms of some of the wash of crowd sounds which subsume the players. This therefore may not be the most consistently "showy" Atmos track I've listened to, but it offers generally nice surround activity within a somewhat limited sound design context. Dialogue is presented cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English, French and Spanish subtitles are available.

American Underdog Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary with Directors Andrew and Jon Erwin and Producer Kevin Downes


• Inspired (HD; 16:08) is an above average "making of" featurette with a wealth of interviews with the cast and crew and the real life Kurt and Brenda Warner.


• Making the Cut (HD; 13:45) focuses on editing.


• A Coach's Faith (HD; 30:48) is an interview with Dick Vermeil conducted by Heidi Gardner from Saturday Night Live.


• New to the Scene: Hayden Zaller (HD; 6:10) features the adorable and remarkable little boy who portrays Zach in the film.


• Meet the Champion (HD; 14:49) features Kurt Warner discussing the film.


• Behind the Game (HD; 8:13) has the Erwins discussing their background in documentary and music videos and what they and the Warners wanted the film to be about.


• American Underdog: Behind the Story (HD; 3:39) is a brief EPK that actually plays more like an extended trailer.


• Deleted Scenes (HD; 17:44) feature optional commentary by Andrew Erwin.


• Theatrical Trailer (HD; 2:21)

American Underdog Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If many will find this heartwarming tale viscerally touching due to the hard earned success of Kurt Warner and the struggles he and Brenda endured separately and together, I reacted emotionally to the story for a somewhat different reason, since it prominently features the University of Northern Iowa, an institution an Uncle of mine taught at for decades (I still have some wonderful cousins in and around Cedar Falls, Iowa, where the university is located). That specificity may of course be lacking for many viewers, but in its place is a universality of message about stick-to-it-iveness (professionally and personally) that I'm absolutely positive will resonate with many, even those who couldn't care less what a Super Bowl is, or who in fact may consider themselves not particularly "faith based", a la Anna Paquin. Technical merits are solid and the supplements are very enjoyable and American Underdog comes Recommended.