5 Best Sports Movie Climaxes Ever (& 5 Worst)

Sports films can be inspirational and memorable, especially at the ending. However, a few of them missed the mark with their climaxes.

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There is something about a good sports movie that audiences have always loved. The genre has produced some of the most beloved films of all time that remain crowd-pleasers to movie fans of any age, and even those who are not particularly interested in sports. As with any genre, there are also some less than stellar examples as well.

So much of the success of a sports movie relies on the climax. The audience has hopefully been cheering for the heroes to win throughout the whole movie, but those final moments are where the film can either become an inspirational and powerful hit or where it completely strikes out.

10 Best: Warrior (2011)

Though not as widely known as some of the other classics on this list, Warrior is an excellent film worth seeking out. Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton play two estranged brothers who find themselves competing in the same mixed martial arts tournament, causing them to address their painful past.

The film builds to the inevitable moment when the two brothers face off in the ring against each other. The movie arrives at this point without being too cheesy and the emotional showdown has these two men fighting for their own personal reasons but also for forgiveness.

9 Worst: The Karate Kid (1984)

There is no taking away from the fact that The Karate Kid is a sports movie classic. Its legacy is evident with the current success of the sequel series Cobra Kai. The story of a bullied kid named Daniel being taught karate by a martial arts master is a winning tale.

However, the film falters slightly in its climax which some fans might have missed. Facing his strong opponent, Daniel decides to use the crane kick, knocking his foe in the face and winning the match. However, earlier in the movie, they clearly establish a hit to the face is illegal, meaning that Daniel’s triumphant moment was actually cheating.

8 Best: Happy Gilmore (1996)

A sports movie doesn’t have to be a serious look at the game in order to be successful. Happy Gilmore stars Adam Sandler as a failed hockey player who realizes his slap shit skills can be used on the golf course. He quickly becomes the PGA’s most dysfunctional player.

In the final game, Happy is putting for victory when a broadcast tower falls on the green. Forced to make the impossible shot, Happy looks back on his mini-golf training and takes the shot. Watching the crowd breathlessly follow the ball as it endlessly bounces around before rolling into the hole makes for a hilarious victory.

7 Worst: Rookie Of The Year (1993)

Some fans might look back on this ’90s sports comedy with fond nostalgia, but if they were to rewatch Rookie of the Year, they would see why it doesn’t hold up. Once again, belief must be suspended for his story of a young kid whose arm surgery turns him into the Major League’s fastest pitcher.

Even if the audience is willing to go along with the cartoony premise for the entire movie, the climax is too much to handle. After losing his pitching skill, the kid decides to win the game by pitching “a floater.” The ridiculous underhand pitch is right out of little league softball and the idea that it would be too much for a professional ballplayer is laughable in the wrong way.

6 Best: The Wrestler (2008)

Actor Mickey Rourke made an impressive though short-lived comeback with his amazing turn in Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler. He plays Randy, a former pro wrestler now living a sad and painful life while chasing former glory in small and brutal appearances until a near-fatal heart attack sidelines him.

After his redemption with his estranged daughter fails, Randy returns to the ring against the doctor’s orders. His final match is a self-destructive display while the audience cheers him on. It’s a powerful sequence that shows this is all he has left and he’s willing to give everything to the ring.

5 Worst: Cool Runnings (1993)

The sports comedy Cool Runnings is very loosely based on the real-life story of the first Olympic bobsled team from Jamaica. The movie is a pretty enjoyable underdog story as these passionate and determined athletes try to master a sport they know little about.

The film is a very light and fun ride for most of the story. And since the movie doesn’t seem worried about sticking close to history, they could have changed it up for a more crowd-pleasing finale. But instead, the team crashes and loses in their final race which is an oddly downbeat way to go.

4 Best: Raging Bull (1980)

Like The Wrestler, Raging Bull is a story of self-destruction. Robert De Niro gives an incredible performance as Jake LaMotta, a vicious heavyweight boxer whose violence was as brutal outside the ring which ruined just about every relationship in his life.

Unlike most boxing movies, the ending of Raging Bull takes place outside of the ring. After spending time in prison and selling his championship belt, Jake is an overweight club performer, not resembling his former athletic self at all. It is an uncomfortably pathetic end for the man.

3 Worst: Tin Cup (1996)

Kevin Costner has had a lot of luck with sports movies in the past, but Tin Cup was a miss for him. In the romantic comedy, he plays a former golf pro prospect who is lured back into the game when trying to woo a woman (Rene Russo).

After remarkably qualifying for a pro tournament, he looks like he has a shot at the championship. But on the last hole, he decides to play a risky shot and ends up in the water. Stubbornly, he tries again and again, losing the tournament but finally making the shot after twelve attempts. There seems to be a lesson there, but it’s tough to get past his hard-headedness.

2 Best: Rocky (1976)

There is a reason Rocky is considered by many to be the greatest sports movie of all time. Sylvester Stallone’s ultimate underdog, Rocky Balboa, is such a charming and inspiring hero as he is plucked from obscurity and given a shot at the heavyweight champ.

In a brutal and spirited fight against Apollo Creed, Rocky manages to defy expectations and last the entire fight. The judges declare Creed the winner, but Rocky has already won in his mind, calling out for his girlfriend in the end.

1 Worst: Rocky V (1990)

The Rocky franchise had a lot of ups and downs throughout its run, but Rocky V is certainly the lowest point of them all. The film finds Rocky retired and running Mickey’s gym where he agrees to train a hungry young fighter named Tommy Gunn.

Tommy becomes an arrogant champ who challenges rocky to a fight to cement his title as the best. The two face off in a ridiculous street fight that just comes off as cartoonish and embarrassing.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/best-worst-sports-film-climaxes-endings/