Inspired (very loosely) by the life of Jackie Kallen, the most successful female manager in boxing history, "Against the Ropes" finds Hollywood's longstanding love affair with the sport suffering from acute anemia. Of course, it could be argued that this particular telling is really not so much a boxing picture as it is a story of one woman's personal triumph in a male-dominated arena, but the fast-flying cliches and distracted pacing would do both a disservice, particularly given winning performances by Meg Ryan and fellow cast members. Lacking that momentum and a clear-cut demo, "Ropes" will find itself going against the current boxoffice-wise, though it could eventually be a draw in the DVD ring.

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