Champion (2005)

Danny Trejo, you know the man. He has fierce tattoos, and frequently plays a thug in your favorite movies. Behind the ink and the wicked characters he plays on screen lies the story of a ... See full summary »

Director:

Joe Eckardt

Writer:

Cecily Gambrell

Stars:

Danny Trejo, Dennis Hopper, Robert Rodriguez

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview:
Danny Trejo	...	Himself
Dennis Hopper	...	Himself
Robert Rodriguez	...	Himself
Steve Buscemi	...	Himself
Antonio Banderas	...	Himself
Val Kilmer	...	Himself
Edward Bunker	...	Himself
Cecily Gambrell	...	Herself

Storyline

Danny Trejo, you know the man. He has fierce tattoos, and frequently plays a thug in your favorite movies. Behind the ink and the wicked characters he plays on screen lies the story of a troubled childhood which included drug addiction, armed robbery and extensive prison time. Champion offers an intimate, one of a kind view into the life of Danny Trejo before he turned himself around and after.

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Taglines:

This is his story.

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 March 2005 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Film Emporium

Technical Specs

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

User Reviews

Lackluster editing; solid storytelling; disturbing lack of Trejo's genitalia

Don't get me wrong. I respect Danny Trejo more than with the rest of the world along with the girl who interviewed him, however not only did this film physically damage my eyes (though don't get me wrong; I love Mr. Trejo's physique as much as any human should), but the obscure cutaways to people who are strikingly NOT Danny Trejo nearly put me in tears.

Additionally, the editor often switched the movie from colour to black and white. I felt this was a terrible decision, on account of black and white film being incapable of capturing Trejo's full beauty.

I do give credit to Trejo himself who knows how to hold the screen. He truly draws the viewer in--his expressions and phrases and tales of woe captivated me in ways I'd never thought imaginable. Storytelling has never been more fun, and I encourage Mr. Trejo to provide his services to young preschool children.

As far as the film-making goes, the documentarians clearly had little interest in Trejo. First and foremost, the interviewer sounded more bored than I was. Secondly, the movie was sent to me WITHOUT a proper birthdate for Danny Trejo. This date is incredibly important to people all over the world. Every November 11th, people everywhere have a moment of silence to remember and reflect on the tougher moments in Trejo's life. This should NOT have been left out.

Last and the polar opposite of least (aka "most") importantly, I expected at least ONE shower scene. Seriously. WTF. Just one. I mean, c'mon--I took my kids to see THIS? Well, I guess it's back to photoshopping for me.

All in all, Trejo's as awesome as ever but this movie fails to live up to the hype created by my friends and I.