Drawing from Dan Millman's popular 1980 book, "Peaceful Warrior" (2006) brings to mind films like "The Karate Kid" and "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story," substituting gymnastics for martial arts training. It’s a movie worth seeing but it felt too predictable and seemed to lack the spark needed to elevate itself beyond its rather ordinary storyline. While I appreciated the consistent stream of wisdom coming from Nick Nolte's character, “Socrates,” the film stumbled early on by suggesting he could instantly float fifteen feet in the air. Things got even stranger after that. It felt like this diminished his character instead of making him more interesting. Still, Nolte delivers a solid performance and I did enjoy his insightful sayings throughout. Some have noted that his philosophies reflect Buddhist teachings, but my interpretation was rooted in Biblical Christianity. For example: * The emphasis on service and humility, or servanthood. * "Putting out the trash," which seems to mean setting aside your old self (the physical desires) and embracing a new spiritual nature. * Recognizing that fleeting thoughts aren't who you are unless you embrace them and let them guide you. * Finding happiness even in everyday life. * Being able to sense the true character of others, both with compassion and for protection. * Generosity towards those who ask for help. * Responding to conflict by turning the other cheek (though, practically speaking, you only have two). And there was much more along these lines. These are fundamental principles that hold true regardless of your background, upbringing or current beliefs. This is what makes the film worthwhile. Beyond that, though, the plot's elements are just too apparent. The viewer is as aware of the artificiality as the supporting actors, who seem to struggle with the material because of it. Despite these drawbacks, the main cast does a commendable job. Speaking of the performers, Amy Smart and Agnes Bruckner seemed to have their roles significantly reduced; I checked out the 'deleted scenes' to confirm this. The film has a running time of 2 hours and was filmed at the University of California, Berkeley, and USC in Los Angeles. GRADE: B-

Source on TMDB