on paper this look a good film . michael caine play a tough and ruthless boxing promoter who son be up for a title eliminator . the pity be that when the story be transfer from paper to my television screen it lose a certain everything . i have hop we would be see emulate his definitive role in get carter and a the film progress it do seem to take on the quality of a tough gritty revenge thriller but the whole tone of the film jump around so much you will be confuse a to what genre it try to fit in to . for example caine ( who you can not believe in as billy shiner simpson and he simply michael caine ) have a laugh out line a he refer to someone a hattie jacques then in a supposedly humorous moment have his henchman break someone arm . oh how i laugh . i mean it suppose to elicit a laugh the way it play out on screen isn not it . but these seem at odds with the way the rest of the film play out obviously director john irvin doesn not know what approach to take with scott cherry screenplay . irvin isn not a bad director and be well regard for his war film such a the dog of war and hamburger hill but he ill suit to this type of violent drama and one can not help but feel he might have be intimidate somewhat by a living legend like caine . caine do give the impression he just do it for the money and the well know face in support role like landua and cranham be basically just cameo who could be play by anyone .