This is one of the most entertaining boxing movies I've ever watched. It probably doesn't adhere to The True Story of Kid McCoy as much as the title might lead you to believe, but who cares when the imaginary Kid McCoy punches, cheats and swindles his way through the movie in such a charming fashion. Brutal Glory begins in New York where a kid, presumably a petty thief, gets involved in a street quarrel. Despite his rather feminine appearance, he manages to reshape the faces of his opponents quite well. One of the onlookers watching the fight is a manager taking care of talented boxers. This gentleman called Max Owen (played by Robert Vaughn) encourages the kid to stop by at the gym and try to fight in the ring, as a professional. The kid is not too keen on pursuing a boxing career at first, but then he comes home to find his old man loaded again, and after some paternal abuse (junior hasn't shown up at school for months and the old man calls him a whore and attempts to strip off his pants), the kid decides to leave home for good. He pays a call on the manager, tries his luck in the ring, and commences his quest for glory. As this movie shows, the glory of Kid McCoy was not achieved only through his boxing skills but also through his cunningness enabling him to double-cross and cheat. After winning a series of matches, Kid McCoy gets a job as a sparring partner of the current U. S. boxing champion. Since he temporarily dwells in the champion's villa, Kid manages to make out with his employer's girlfriend and later, he sets up a great swindle. He makes a deal with the champion and some Italian mafia guys, he promises to play the role of a punching bag in a staged match between him and the champion, but then, of course, he breaks his promise, beats the heck out of his opponent and makes the mafia guys lose a lot of money. The mob don't take it too kindly, they want their money back and start to negotiate with Kid's manager by breaking his fingers, one at a time. Kid and Max know when it's time to leave. Kid devises another great plan- to relocate to South Africa. He plans on fighting there under a different name, but his true identity is accidentally revealed shortly after his arrival. It's only a matter of time when Kid and the champion of South Africa face each other in the ring. This time, Kid tricks the newspapers into thinking the South African climate wrecked his health. Everybody is fooled by his charade and Kid is given the label of an outsider by the press. Kid makes another smart move by persuading a tycoon to invest a large sum in the upcoming match and to bet it all against him. In the first several rounds, Kid pretends to be on his last legs, but once all bets are closed, he comes up with a surprise and smashes the champion's face. But that's not all Brutal Glory has to offer. There is also a love story involving Kid and a ballerina who succumbs to McCoy's charisma. After the final scam that allows Kid to pay his debt to the mob, Kid, his girl, his manager, the former South African champion and Kid's sponsor all go on vacation. Since this is a South African movie, they go on a safari. An amazing adventure ensues. Kid has to fight with the most courageous warrior of a native tribe, he earns a respect of the tribe's chief (who has some hilarious lines, such as: "A man has to clean his loins often."), and finally attempts to outrun a bushman. This youthful indiscretion almost costs him a life since he gets stranded in the desert without water. There is also a dash of mysticism added by the creators near the end of this movie, but there's no need to give everything away. Find out for yourself what Brutal Glory is all about. Of course, if you happen to come across this highly entertaining movie anywhere.
Review of Brutal Glory
