balevanti Words couldn't have described how I felt after I first saw this film. Grant you I had seen this picture a grand total of ten views of the amazing "Murderball" in one week and I thought to myself, "I don't see anyone bitching, moaning complaining or feeling sorry for themselves. I was amazed at the competitive wrath that these men show. Mark Zupan has to be the most intense man I have seen in sports with his will to surpass all obstacles and do it in a way where he can come back to earth and show such a shy side when introducing youngsters and newcomers to the sport. For every cocky arrogant and ungrateful athlete in professional sports where they don't get their million dollar signing bonus, each of those athletes should be shown this film and see how bad their life could be. Maybe then would they know what hard work and devotion is. Yet then again, maybe they might still not understand.

DICK STEEL Murderball is a sport otherwise known as Wheelchair / Quad Rugby. Played by quadriplegics, it is a 4 on 4 rugby game on wheels, which requires plenty of strength, speed, and that armoured wheelchair which almost doubles as a kind of bumper car as the sportsmen battle it out for supremacy on a regular basketball court.This documentary showcases the game from both the points of view of Team USA and Team Canada, highlighting the intense rivalry between them, with Team Canada inheriting a disgruntled ex-Team USA star player Joe Soares, who's now their head coach. Naturally when you have someone who knows your team strategy and know it inside out, is a cause for concern, as Team USA seeks to continue its winning streak, with new star player Mark Zupan in its fold.But it's not just about the game, or just the preparation for the Paralympic Games in Athens 2004. In its compact 85 minutes, we get introduced to the key players like Zupan, and go behind the scenes to see what makes them tick, as well as their backstories on how they have become confined to a wheelchair. Not everyone is born without limbs, and for most, it's usually an accident, or a disease. Family ties are given equally adequate screen time, as support for these folks, as do any other sporting professional, is as important, especially after facing a huge loss while representing the country.It's a bit hilarious as they account for the stares and innocent requests of help extended to by strangers, and you've got to salute these guys' strength, independence and confidence that comes with the sport. Besides the game, they do go around the country to inspire others who have recently suffered the same predicament of being in a wheelchair, to advise that it's not a lost cause.And while they reminisce about how they had to adjust to their condition, I suppose the common question they all had was, does their woody still work. And surprisingly, it's this curiosity amongst chicks that actually assist them in snagging them, ha! But light hearted moments aside, it's almost always never easy in picking life back up again, as everyone harbours the dream that one day, they will walk again.For those who have followed the team's exploits in the previous Athens Olympic Games, will already know the outcome of the game. Done in MTV styled quick cuts with adrenaline pumping music, the games shown in the documentary don't bore. But as the cliché goes, it's never about the destination, but about the journey. Best wishes to all the athletes competing in Beijing 2008!

Roland E. Zwick If, like the rest of us, you spend most of your time pissing and moaning over the seeming unfairness and petty inconveniences of everyday life, I suggest you check out "Murderball" for an immediate attitude readjustment. This fascinating documentary will put all of that stuff into perspective for you, while entertaining the hell out of you at the same time.Played on a regulation-sized basketball court (minus the baskets), Murderball is actually a slang name for Wheelchair Rugby, an international sport in which quadriplegics use their specially armored wheelchairs almost like souped-up bumper cars to score goals for their team. The film concentrates, primarily, on the intense and sometimes downright vicious rivalry between the team from the United States and the team from Canada. The movie makers introduce us to about a half dozen players, each of whom, even in the few moments afforded him on screen, becomes a distinct personality with a history to relate and a story to tell. The two main focal points are the charismatic and muscular Mark Zupan, and Joe Soares, one of the legendary pioneers of the sport who left to coach for Canada after he was cut from the American team. Many of the most incisive scenes deal with the ribbing, some of it good-natured, some of it not so good-natured, that Soares has had to endure over his decision to defect to the opposing side.Although the rugby scenes themselves are gripping and thrilling, the real drama occurs off the court in the men's personal lives, as we see the struggle and heartbreak the men go through, the strength and inspiration they exhibit for the rest of us, and, most especially, the camaraderie and team spirit that comes with working together to achieve a common goal. As the film-making crew follows the men around through the course of their daily lives, we get to know them as complex individuals, finding out how they ended up in a wheelchair and seeing how each was able to rise above the experience to get to where he is today. The film neither sugarcoats the difficulties of their lives nor asks for our pity. It simply presents the men to us, in all their virtues and flaws, and asks that we listen in on their stories. Some of the most poignant moments involve Soares having to come to terms with having a son who has little or no interest in sports, preferring the violin instead.Kudos to directors Henry Alex Rubin and Dana Adam Shapiro for their fine work on this film, especially Rubin, who also provided the stunning camera-work for the scenes on the court. But most of our thanks should go to the men of the film and their loved ones who were willing to open up their lives to us in so vivid and honest a way. This is an inspiring and heartwarming film - the final scene is of some of the men introducing the sport to a number of injured Iraq War veterans - that will stick with you long after the closing credits.

fwomp MURDERBALL, simply put, is a bunch of quadriplegics in wheelchairs playing full-contact Rugby on a sort of basketball court. But the movie is much more than that simplistic notion.MURDERBALL the movie is a voyage of discovery, telling its characters (the men in these wheelchairs) that life isn't over after a debilitating accident. And telling us, those who are fortunate enough not to be stuck in these chairs, that they've earned our respect, not our sympathies.This amazingly little known Paralympic sport is taken very seriously by the U.S. team, who've taken home the gold the past 11 times. Their specialized chairs are turned into battering rams for plowing into fellow players (the speed at which they can travel are impressive and the impacts at the end ear-throttling).Mark Zupan is one of this documentary's focuses, a quadriplegic with serious attitude, huge biceps, a scowling face, dark tattoos, and, underneath it all, a heart of gold. Having been paralyzed after an accident caused by his best friend from high school, Christopher Igoe, the two have not spoken in years ...out of guilt, fear, and anger. But as the film winds down we see a softening in attitude on Mark Zupan's part and the two come together in an offish but very touching way.The other main focus of the documentary is on Joe Soares, a bitter man who lost his position on team America and now spins his Rugby wheels for the Canadian team ...as their coach. Sparks fly as the two teams meet up for the first time since Joe Soares took over the Canadian team. Joe is also so caught up in what he's doing that he forgets to remember the most important things in his life: his wife and son. At first, I absolutely hated Joe. But as the film rolled on, and some changes in Joe's life were forced upon him, I began to understand his position. The viewer also gets to see Joe grow out of his self-centeredness and into a more loving father and husband.The final focus is on a young man named Kevin, who is newly acquainted with a wheelchair after becoming a quadriplegic from a motorcycle accident. He's bitter, angry, depressed, all the things you'd expect after suffering such a horrific life-change. But Mark Zupan introduces him to wheelchair Rugby (Murderball) and Kevin is instantly hooked. Life takes on new meaning for Kevin and he obviously decides that his existence still has value. A great set of scenes! I'll end this review by mentioning the special features that came with the DVD. Johnnie Knoxville and "Steve-O" from Jackass the TV series, party with several of the members of the U.S. Paralympic Wheelchair Rugby team and it's a great thing to behold. Not only does it show how amiable these wheelchair-bound guys are, but it also shows us how their chairs don't hold them back in the slightest (punching each other, using cattle prods, and jumping off ramps in their chairs and into swimming pools).