When your muscles ache, your willpower to stick to your diet begins to fade and your feet just don’t seem to want to take you to the gym, don’t fight it. Instead, head home and stick on a film. But not just any film. Pick one from our list of truly inspirational films and get that motivation back. So powerful is the art of cinema that you shouldn’t be surprised if you find yourself springing up from your chair and busting out reps whilst the credits roll.
Welcome to Part #2 of our Top 10 Motivational Movies. You can find our first 5 recommended motivational movies here.
Troy (2004)
If Gerard Butler is not the right man for the females in your life, try Orlando Bloom, Eric Bana and Brad Pitt. Brad Pitt plays Achilles, a legendary warrior who has morales, muscles and an appetite for destruction, and some of his battle scenes are superb. We aren’t praising the acting in this epic war film (Orlando Bloom is particularly wooden) and we’re not suggesting for a second that you follow in the footsteps of the Greeks and basically cheat… But the lesson to be learnt is that the most beautiful woman in the world falls for Orlando Bloom, a guy that clearly works hard for this abs. That, and not to get shot in the foot with an arrow.
Cool Runnings (1993)
Who doesn’t love a film about the underdog? Based on the true story of the Jamaican bobsled team, Cool Runnings is a classic that sends out the message of never giving up, even when you think all hope has been lost. Derice Bannock fails to qualify in the Olympic 100m sprint but doesn’t take it lying down and decides to go for Olympic glory elsewhere. Who would have thought that a Jamaican bobsleigh team would compete in the Winter Olympics? And their commitment to the very end is pretty powerful stuff. It will either inspire you or bring you to tears.
Fight Club (1999)
Sticking with Brad Pitt, how could we forget the amazing adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s novel? Edward Nortons’ unnamed protagonist, an insomniac who is discontented with his life, forms a fight club with Tyler Durden, played by Brad Pitt. From the first scuffle outside the bar to the crowd of men in a basement, the fight clubs are a raw and macho expression of violence and brawn. Now we’re certainly not suggesting that you take inspiration from the fights, the dissociated personalities, or from the anti-materialist and anti-corporate Project Mayhem, but it’s certainly a good film to inspire you to push through the pain barrier.
The Karate Kid (1984)
Another underdog film, The Karate Kid is both inspiring and entertaining. A slice of classic eighties cinema, new kid Daniel LaRusso, tormented by bullies from a nearby karate dojo, is taught karate by martial arts master Mr Miyagi. The unconventional and gruelling training methods of Mr Miyagi should serve to make you feel a little ashamed about not powering through your last few reps, and the ending is a feel-good mash up that should douse you with inspiration. Proof that this film has spread its message to the masses – Mr. Meowgi is a popular cats name. We kid you not.
Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004)
A triple threat of a film: 1. Uma Thurman provides the eye candy and shows how being hell bent on revenge can also be quite sexy. 2. Tarantino’s signature violence fills pretty much almost every scene and makes for some excellent viewing. 3. If you’re not inspired to take a trip to the gym after seeing Beatrix Kiddo training with the the legendary martial arts master Pai Mei then you’ll probably never get up from your sofa. Beatrix struggles with a master who ridicules and despises her, but through sheer hard work and determination she triumphs and wins his respect. And she learns the ‘The Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique, which is pretty badass.
These, plus the five mentioned in Part #1 of our round-up, are just a few movies that we think are pretty inspiring, but we know there are some strong contenders missing. Bloodsport perhaps? Warrior. Rambo is up there too! We’d love to hear what films have inspired and motivated you – join the discussion on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
Watch these motivational classics with a Toffee Popcorn flavoured Pure Whey Protein™ shake for the ultimate cinematic experience.
