SOME OF THE GREATEST SPORTS FILMS OF THE 21ST CENTURY AND WHAT MADE THEM SO SUCCESSFUL

Have you ever wondered why certain films about sport perform better at the box office than others? I mean, could it have something to do with the actual story being told? Or could it have something to do with the cast, the crew, or the sport it's trying to represent? Either way, our mates over at the SkateHut have decided to examine the sports films released over the last 20 years in order to tell us which are the best of the best.

The Damned United

Synopsis: This film was loosely based on the life and times of the English football manager, Brian Clough.

What's the sport? Football / Soccer 

Is the story an underdog story? Yes
Are the actors playing the sport in a realistic manner? Yes
Does the film have a happy ending? No
What does the Tomatometer say? Critics Score: 92% / Audience Score: 85%

Warrior 

Synopsis: This action-packed melodrama revolves around two estranged brothers who eventually find themselves competing against each other in the same MMA cage fighting championship.

What's the sport? Mixed Martial Arts 

Is the story an underdog story? Yes 

Are the actors playing the sport in a realistic manner? Yes
Does the film have a happy ending? Yes
What does the Tomatometer say? Critics Score: 83% / Audience Score: 92%

Moneyball 

Synopsis: The second true-life story on our list revolves around the General Manager of the Oakland A’s, Billy Beane, who tries to change the nature of baseball by breaking the mold that's been in place for more than 150 years.

What's the sport? Baseball 
Is the story an underdog story? Yes
Are the actors playing the sport in a realistic manner? Yes
Does the film have a happy ending? Yes
What does the Tomatometer say? Critics Score: 94% / Audience Score: 86%

The Greatest Game Ever Played 

Synopsis: This rags-to-riches biopic was based on a book about the real-life golf champion, Francis Ouimet, and was voted the best-golfing film of all time by nationalclubgolfer.com.

What's the sport? Golf 

Is the story an underdog story? Yes
Are the actors playing the sport in a realistic manner? No
Does the film have a happy ending? Yes
What does the Tomatometer say? Critics Score: 63% / Audience Score: 82%

Dogtown and Z-Boys 

Synopsis: This documentary-styled film follows eight young teenagers from Santa Monica who try to promote skateboarding in the mainstream media.

What's the sport? Skating 

Is the story an underdog story? N/A
Are the actors playing the sport in a realistic manner? N/A
Does the film have a happy ending? N/A
What does the Tomatometer say? Critics Score: 92% / Audience Score: 88%

Road 

Synopsis: This documentary features two generations of the same family who are obsessed with motorcycle racing. Or to be more specific about it, The Dunlop family, who originate from Northern Ireland and are synonymous with the sport of motorcycle road racing.

What's the sport? Motorcycle Racing

Is the story an underdog story? N/A
Are the actors playing the sport in a realistic manner? N/A
Does the film have a happy ending? N/A
What does the Tomatometer say? Critics Score: 82% / Audience Score: 90%

Invictus 

Synopsis: 'Invictus' depicts the real-life events that surrounded the 1995 Rugby World Cup, including the dismantling of apartheid in South Africa, the need to perform well in a major competition, as well as the vision shared between President Nelson Mandela and Captain Francois Pienaar. 

What's the sport? Rugby

Is the story an underdog story? Yes 

Are the actors playing the sport in a realistic manner? Yes
Does the film have a happy ending? Yes
What does the Tomatometer say? Critics Score: 76% / Audience Score: 75%

The Fighter 

Synopsis: Similar to 'Warrior', this action-packed melodrama reflects the relationship between two warring brothers who are associated with the same sport. The only difference, though, is that this time the sport is boxing, not MMA, and the actual storyline was based on real-life events that touch upon a variety of different subjects, such as politics, addiction, failure, and ultimately, success.

What's the sport? Boxing 

Is the story an underdog story? Yes
Are the actors playing the sport in a realistic manner? Yes
Does the film have a happy ending? Yes
What does the Tomatometer say? Critics Score: 91% / Audience Score: 89%

Goon

Synopsis: This sports comedy shines a spotlight on a misfit named Doug Glatt, who for some unexplained reason, has a knockout punch that lands him a place on a minor-league Canadian hockey team.

What's the sport? Ice Hockey

Is the story an underdog story? Yes
Are the actors playing the sport in a realistic manner? Yes
Does the film have a happy ending? Yes
What does the Tomatometer say? Critics Score: 81% / Audience Score: 71%

Senna

Synopsis: This documentary follows the life and times of Ayrton Senna. Otherwise known as the popular racing driver from Brazil who managed to have a ten-year career in the F1. It also focuses a lot of attention on Senna’s rivalry with Alain Prost. 

What's the sport? F1

Is the story an underdog story? Yes
Are the actors playing the sport in a realistic manner? Yes
Does the film have a happy ending? Yes
What does the Tomatometer say? Critics Score: 93% / Audience Score: 95%

So there you have it, folks. Some of the greatest films of the 21st century that feature some of the world’s most beloved sports. So, what did you think of it? Was it good, bad, or damn right ugly? Well, whatever the case may be, please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section below and then check out SkateHut via their official Website, Facebook, and Twitter pages.