Carman - The Champion (2001)

It's been ten years since his last fight, but fate is calling him back. Against his doctor's orders former Champion Boxer Orlando Leone (Carman) agrees to go back into the ring for a championship grudge match. With everything on the line, Leone's counting on faith to give him the strength to fight for his dreams. 90 Minutes.

porn PETA star kissing Christian Pastor in "Christian" movie

Doesn't make any sense. Patricia M. costars in this movie in the same year as she poses pornographically for PETA and after playing years on soap operas in Mexico. During the movie, as a married woman, she enters into deep french kisses with the Christian Pastor gifted musician, Carman.

I saw Carman's Christian concerts many years ago. Very emotionally charged exciting events where he tried to honor God with his gift and subdued the crowd, when they tried to turn the concert into a secular equivalent. What happened since then?

I am puzzled that this "Christian" movie, produced by a Christian, would have such strong immoral behaviors as ok? I just watched the movie and after googling the movie, I was shocked to find out that the actress was not only not his wife, she was married at the time, and was posing pornographically for PETA.

There are so many better Christian movies out there that do not normally compromise the Faith. I would not watch TBN, or any of their "Christian" movies ever again, unless I was absolutely sure that they had acknowledged their sins openly and in their confession had entered back into following The Historical Christ, our God. November 30, 2008

This is madness

Carman... one of my favorite christian singers, and.... PATY MANTEROLA???!! This is something that I would only imagine in a bizarr world. I am from Mexico and this girl is a mexican actress of stupid and immoral soap operas and no mexican christian thinks anything good of her. THEY EVEN KISS!!! AND IN THE MOUTH!!!!
By the time I saw that scene I was so sick I couldn't bear to keep watching... October 2, 2008

old school carman... :)

i guess i'm in the habit of scooping up things i saw or had when i was younger...it's old school but that's pretty much what carman brings to the scene...aside from Jesus--Who mos def doesn't come second to being old school...at any rate--it was good back then and it's good now...my son loves it... ;) March 11, 2008

We are the Champions! o/

For getting such a high-quality flick out of a Christian production company -- woo hoo! o/

Because, even though this movie came highly recommended, I was still very reluctant to watch it (I bought it online & then let it collect dust on the shelf for a few years), so I was pleasantly surprised when I finally sat down to watch it tonight ...

And yet another of my preconceived-notion bubbles was burst in the opening scenes, because I kept thinking, "Okay, maybe the story & the acting are going to be passable, but surely the boxing scenes are going to be hokey & fake looking ... "

NOT.

I was a big fan of the "Rocky" series (yes, it's true; I admit it) & so I thought there was no way that this movie could live up to my high expectations for a boxing film, but it was actually very realistic (& when you watch the behind-the-scenes footage that comes with the DVD, you will discover WHY the fight scenes are so real-looking ... )

So, overall, it's a fun, heart-warming movie to watch by yourself, or with the family; the acting & production values are decent & the music is top-notch (OF COURSE it is, considering who did the score! ;) November 25, 2006

The Saint vs. The Sinner

Carman is excellent as Orlando Leone, a security guard and former boxing champ, who has dreams of helping his community, the troubled kids in it, and leading his small church, which is why everyone calls him "The Preacher." He tangles with the current champion in the hotel where he is employed, and it leads to a "The Saint vs. The Sinner" match. There are numerous sub-plots that surround the match-up, including Orlando meeting his love interest, the mother of a delinquent child who breaks into his car.

The boxing footage is the best part of "The Champion." It's fast and gritty, and well choreographed and filmed, and overall, the direction by Lee Stanley and the acting by the entire cast is above average for a low-budget B movie. Jeremy Williams is impressive as the street thug turned champion Keshon Banks, Patricia Manterola beautiful as Orlando's love Allia, and Michael Nouri as his brother Freddie, whose motives are dark and crooked, and Jay Allen Jones as Orlando's friend Johnny are very good.

This TBN production is only peripherally a Christian film, and if you blinked a few times, you might miss the "religious content." It is nevertheless fairly wholesome fare, with the themes of integrity and giving to others, and worth seeing if you like boxing films without having your ears assaulted with foul language (also not to be missed in this category, and a superb film, is "Cinderella Man"). Carman has used many of his talents in this film, in the writing, and the film score, which uses some of his songs, and though "The Champion" may be occasionally a little cheesy and rough around the edges, it's very entertaining, and fine viewing for the entire family.
October 9, 2006

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