The Calcium Kid

2004 "It takes a lotta bottle to be the champ"
5.5| 1h29m| en
Details

When milkman Jimmy Connelly accidentally puts Britain's contender for the World title out of action, he is propelled from amateur boxer to the world stage and announced as the replacement contender for the championship fight.

AD
AD

Watch Free for 30 Days

All Prime Video Movies and TV Shows. Cancel anytime. Watch Now

Trailers & Clips

Reviews

Cebalord Very best movie i ever watch
Spidersecu Don't Believe the Hype
Beanbioca As Good As It Gets
Zlatica One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.
intelearts This hard to find gem is a knockout! Best watched at face value - the comedy is upfront and there really are laughs rather than smiles to be had throughout - it is out and out Souf Lundun, innit, but has heart and spirit that will translate into any viewer's world.As you can tell we just simply loved this - and what's not to love - Orlando Bloom who at first seems like a fish out of water grows quickly on you as the milk man who becomes the unlikely contender for the middleweight world title.(It reminded me a little of Michael Crawford's turn in the excellent film from the early Seventies "The Games" though that's a serious take on sports, they are both milkmen and both have a charm and naivety that carries both films well.) It is both silly and serious, without being embarrassing, with an excellent support cast, and I would warmly recommend this as one of the better British comedies of the decade - if sports and comedy are two of your favourite genres then you could do far far worse, a fun and surprisingly uplifting film that deserves a wider audience.
new_skin I first saw 'The Calcium Kid' at the end of 2004, and have since bought the DVD. This movie is very underrated, with great performances from a mostly-unknown-outside-of-the-United-Kingom (at the time) cast. The film begins a week before a much-anticipated title fight between World Champion Jose Mendez (Michael Pena-Crash) of the United States and the undefeated British challenger Pete Wright (Tamer Hassan-The Football Factory). Wright is injured while sparring with Jimmy Connolly (Orlando Bloom), a milkman who is yet to have his first fight. Fearful of losing his chance at fame, Wright's manager Herbie Bush (Omid Djalili) replaces Wright with Connolly without telling Mendez or his take-no-prisoners manager, Artie Cohen (Michael Lerner-Barton Fink). The fight gains huge amounts of publicity due to the unusual nature of it, and the days preceding the fight send Connolly spiraling from underdog hopeful to fascist and everywhere in between.Orlando Bloom is great in his performance as Jimmy Connolly. I think it is his best yet, in fact. As the leading man, he shows his skills at comedy, and is free from being overshadowed by the ensemble cast of Lord Of The Rings and Pirates Of The Caribbean. His reactions to the situations he finds himself in over the days before the big fight are priceless and pulled off realistically. Bloom, acting outside his normal period piece roles, proves that he can pull off many a different role.Tamer Hassan is also great as the disgruntled Pete Wright. Despite his attempts to publicly humiliate Connolly and Bush, you really feel for his situation. Having the chance of a lifetime taken from you by a milkman is enough to set anybody off, and Hassan does the role justice in a hilarious way.The Calcium Kid features great performances all around, such as those I've already mentioned, as well as Michael Pena, Michael Lerner and Omid Djalili. Look for supporting roles by Rafe Spall and Billie Piper as well.Lastly, something must be said of first time writer/director Alex De Rakoff. The script is hilarious, and the mockumentary-style directing are spot-on. I only hope this is the first of many for De Rakoff.To conclude, The Calcium Kid is one of the funniest films I've seen in a long time. Not only that, but Bloom's performance really makes you want to see his character pull off the upset of a lifetime. See this film; you will not be disappointed.
nazgul748 The Calcium Kid is very funny in the tradition of "Young Frankenstein" and Monty Python stuff. Orlando Bloom shows that he can do more then play the swashbuckler. The humor ranges from subtle to absurd. The screenplay was just a little shy of pure genius. Sometimes it's nice to see a film that is just for fun. The actors have a chance to have fun and make fun of themselves. Orlando Bloom plays a wonderful part as our hapless hero. The supporting cast is great. The direction was hilarious. Pay attention though, you might miss some very funny stuff!! I give it 8/10 for the quality of work throughout the production. I literally laughed out loud several times. It's worth watching at least once, but I'll bet you'll want to see it again.
T_S_LOVE After playing several supporting roles in big blockbuster movies (or rather cameos, as in the Lord of the Rings movies), this was Orlando Bloom's first starring role (in a low budget movie) as well as his first "funny" part (except for those which where unintentionally funny, i.e. "Ned Kelly"), and from what I've read, I expected a cute little movie. You cannot imagine my disappointment!Bloom's acting was just as wooden as always, but this time he had to carry the entire movie. "The Calcium Kid" is a comedy without *any* funny scenes or lines, it's badly written, and fine supporting actors and actresses try their best to save the sinking ship. The direction was practically non-existent; maybe many mistakes wouldn't have happened if the director had a wee bit more experience?