Approximately five years after its cinema run in the USAResurrecting the Champ, comes to DVD in the UK. Starring Josh Hartnett as a struggling journalist and Samuel L Jackson as a down and out ex-boxer, the drama directed by Rod Lurie (The Contender, Straw Dogs) aims to pull the heart strings with its true life tale, but its transition from real life to the big screen is not entirely inspiring.

Josh Hartnett is miscast as Erik Kernan, a struggling journalist who aims to rekindle both his career, as well as his relationship with his wife and young son, from whom he is currently separated. He sees his saving grace in writing a story about a homeless man known as the Champ, who claims to be a once famous boxer. It is not that Hartnett's acting is necessarily bad, but he possesses an immediately recognisable demeanour of success which undermines his portrayal of the character.

Samuel L Jackson possesses a stronger affiliation with his character Champ, having battled alcohol and drugs in the past. Owing to his experience and talent (both of which were exhibited in a similar role in Jungle Fever) Jackson is far more convincing, but his character is also endowed by a number of annoying character traits. His voice is high-pitch and his walk is exaggerated which might be expected from a lesser actor, but given his track record these problems feel like a result of poor direction.

The problem at the heart of Resurrecting the Champ however, is in the construction of the script. The drama always feels mild, with little truly at stake to demand the audience's attention. Perhaps writers Michael Bortman and Allison Burnett felt the need to stay true to the events of the real-life story, but this never gives the film the opportunity to truly take off and grip the audience with emotion.

Ultimately Resurrecting the Champ feels like a by-the-numbers 'based on a true story' adaptation. No matter how true, a story that resonates in reality will not work on film without a creative flare that gives a story a new lease of life for the big screen. With a more confident rewrite and less commercial casting Resurrecting the Champ might have been a contender, but as a film this version of the story does not possess a life of its own.