Play It To The Bone cover art

Play It To The Bone Details

1999 Certificate 18
  • Rated:
  • 50
  • from 304 members

Shelton turns his sports-minded attention to the world of boxing in this road trip comedy. Cesar (Banderas) and Vince (Harrelson) are down on their luck boxers living in Los Angeles, reminiscing over their near brushes with the big time. When they receive a call to fight in Las Vegas, they jump at the opportunity. Accompanied .. Read more

Starring Woody Harrelson, Antonio Banderas, Lucy Liu, Lolita Davidovich
Director Ron Shelton
Genres Drama

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Play It To The Bone cover art

Play It To The Bone

Shelton turns his sports-minded attention to the world of boxing in this road trip comedy. Cesar (Banderas) and Vince (Harrelson) are down on their luck boxers living in Los Angeles, reminiscing over their near brushes with the big time. When they receive a call to fight in Las Vegas, they jump at the opportunity. Accompanied by Grace (Davidovich), Vince's former girlfriend who's now dating Cesar, the quirky triangle is completed and the journey begins. By the time the boxers finally step into the ring for the film's climax--after a series of comic misadventures--it is very apparent that they are doing this for more than just the money. What better way to exercise personal demons than to beat them out of each other?

Starring Woody Harrelson, Antonio Banderas, Lucy Liu, Lolita Davidovich, Robert Wagner, Tom Sizemore
Director Ron Shelton
Studio LIONS GATE HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Run time DVD: 1 hr 58 mins
Certificate Certificate 18
Genres Drama
Language DVD: English
Hearing-impaired English
Released DVD: 19 Mar 2001
Production year: 1999
Format DVD

  • Critics' reviews (5) of Play It To The Bone

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  • 3 stars out of 5

    Writer/director Ron Shelton specialises in movies about men in sport (Bull Durham, Tin Cup), so it was only a matter of time before he turned his wry gaze on the fight game. In this sports comedy drama, Antonio Banderas and White Men Can't Jump star Woody Harrelson play second-rate pugilists who get a shot at the big time when they are asked to box each other on the same bill as a Mike Tyson bout. The catch is they have less than 12 hours to get to Vegas, so the two friends hit the road with fiery Grace (Lolita Davidovich) at the wheel. Too much chat and the aggravating presence of Lucy Liu as a hitchhiking nymphomaniac make the road trip a long haul, but things pick up during the climactic fisticuffs, with a host of star cameos (James Woods, Kevin Costner, Tony Curtis) suggesting Shelton's name still opens doors in Tinseltown.

    • Radio Times
    • Posted 29 Jan 2006

  • Episodic account of a couple of would-be contenders that goes nowhere; it is understandably cynical about professional boxing, but at the same time suggests its participants are to be admired.

    • Halliwell's Film Guide
    • Posted 02 Mar 2006

  • Most helpful member's review of Play It To The Bone

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  • 1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

    Rated - 2 stars

    Really, really poor

    Great actors let down by a dull script and flaccid direction. Ron Shelton seems to have lost his talents here. There is a fight sequence in the middle of this film that manages to be repetitive, boring and unrealistic. Rent 'Raging Bull' instead.

      • A customer from Ringsite view
      • Posted 26 Nov 2004 13:46

  • Most recent members' review of Play It To The Bone

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  • Rated - 1 star

    If you don't have nothing to do on sunday

    Kind of decent a bit too north american film. Early stages of Banderas (for those following his career) and good old woody as always. Slow at the beginning and lack of punch at the end. As i said, if you don't have nothing else to do on sunday evening.

      • Dobermann from Warwickshire
      • Posted 09 Aug 2004 11:29

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Rating breakdown

304 Member ratings
  • 100
11
  • 90
11
  • 80
22
  • 70
42
  • 60
68
  • 50
50
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45
  • 30
29
  • 20
18
  • 10
8

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    • Play It To The Bone

    • Play It To The Bone
      Shelton turns his sports-minded attention to the world of boxing in this road trip comedy. Cesar (Banderas) and Vince (Harrelson) are down on their luck boxers living in Los Angeles, reminiscing over their near brushes with the big time. When they receive a call to fight in Las Vegas, they jump at ...