INVINCIBLE
Heart, soul, and inspiration for older children and up.
Should You Watch It?
Invincible gives you a regular man's extraordinary chance to do something difficult without complaining or quitting. Vince Papale works through pain, rejection, and bad starts to pursue a place on the Philadelphia Eagles. His father's conviction — “We don’t let anybody in our family fail” — gives the story a strong moral center.
The movie has few problems, but they are real. The middle drags because the script misses a needed plot point, the ending arrives too quickly, and Vince's passionate involvement with a new bartender feels inappropriate and underdeveloped. The content also includes intense football violence, drinking, sexual implication, and a few minor obscenities.
The football action and inspiring character make this a strong choice for older children and up, with parents using discernment for younger viewers.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESVince Papale is a 30-year-old Philadelphia man who teaches part time, tends bar part time, and plays rough sandlot football with friends. A devoted Eagles fan, Vince gets an unexpected opportunity when new coach Dick Vermeil announces an open tryout for anyone who wants to play for the team.
While others treat the tryout as a joke, Vince runs, catches, and works for his chance. Making the team will require him to endure skepticism, opposition, and the pressure of proving he belongs.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means Invincible is an excellent, highly entertaining sports drama. The dialogue is excellent, and the actors deliver it convincingly. The football action is among the best ever filmed, giving the movie much of its energy and emotional force.
The script keeps most of the movie taut and compelling, but it drags in the middle because a needed plot point arrives late. The ending also moves too quickly, failing to build to a climax and letting the resolution occur in the credits. Overall, it is a very good movie that could have been better.
The Worldview
Invincible presents a strong moral outlook centered on family, helping others, teamwork, perseverance, and doing the right thing. Vince is praised for facing pain and suffering without grousing or complaining, while his father and friends support him. The story has an overt commitment to virtue, though it contains no overt Christian content beyond the wearing of crosses and a Christian undertone.
The film also includes a bar setting with frequent drinking, including drinking to get drunk, and portrays passionate involvement that seems inappropriate given Vince's other strong character traits. Resentment, jealousy, revenge, and similar wrongdoing are rebuked.
The film's central emphasis is faithful effort in the face of discouragement. Scripture likewise says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord” (Colossians 3:23).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Very strong moral worldview with an overt commitment to family, helping others, teamwork, doing the right thing, and other virtues, but no overt Christian content although there is the wearing of crosses and a Christian undertone; very little foul language for a football movie, with four minor obscenities and two light profanities; heavy-duty football violence, including purposely slugging somebody, throwing somebody and other very intense bone-crushing, often intentional violent moments; passionate kissing where it's implied that a couple goes into an apartment to spend the night together and discussions of sex; no nudity; much of the movie is set in a bar so there's a lot of drinking, sometimes to get drunk; no smoking; and, man relieves himself outside of a bar, resentment, jealousy, revenge, all rebuked.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Vince keeps working despite pain, rejection, and discouragement. What helps you persevere when doing the right thing becomes difficult?
Galatians 6:9 · Colossians 3:23Vince’s father says, “We don’t let anybody in our family fail.” How can a family support someone without excusing poor choices?
Galatians 6:1–2 · Proverbs 27:17The story values teamwork and helping others. What gifts can each person bring to a shared task?
1 Corinthians 12:12–27 · Philippians 2:3–4The film rebukes resentment, jealousy, and revenge. What does Scripture offer instead when someone has wronged or disappointed us?
Romans 12:17–21 · Ephesians 4:31–32The Final Word
Invincible is an entertaining, morally serious sports drama with excellent dialogue and outstanding football action. Its few flaws and discernment issues do not erase its inspiring message about perseverance, family, and doing what is right. Our answer is WORTH THE TRIP — OLDER CHILDREN AND UP.
