How others will see it. A well made and entertaining sport epic, most male viewers should already be on board. The hot and cold courtship between Flynn and Smith is remarkably similar to that Flynn had with Olivia de Havilland in numerous prior Warner Bros. outings, but it should help retain female viewers, who might already be privy to Flynn's patented roguish charm.
How I felt about it. Gentleman Jim is entertaining, and if it is not convincing as sports history, it succeeds as a movie. Flynn is never humiliated, never loses, but then he is the star and hero. One boxing match features a long series of alternating knockdowns; often a boxer rises from the canvas to knock down his opponent a few seconds later. These things just don't happen in real life pro boxing matches.
But, these are petty complaints to make about a pretty good film. True, we see little of Corbett training, and it seems he can party with friends and family both immediately before and after a bout, with no consequences. But, it is a movie, and watching Flynn train would be boring, especially for those who have no interest in watching a shirtless Flynn unless there's a chance he will get knocked down by one of those dramatic haymakers his game but apparently blind opponents are always throwing.
Alan Hale, the lookalike true life father of the skipper from Gilligan's Island, must have been Flynn's good luck charm, because he so often shows up in supporting roles, always on the pro-Flynn side.
Is the film predictable? Does 'Gentleman Jim' ever curse like a sailor when he gets hit, or receives bad news? Yes and no, respectively. Is it funny that the fully grown Corbett brothers fight each other like stereotypes of tough schoolboys? No, not really. As a whole, the movie doesn't grasp the concept that education and perspiration achieve more than swaggering and defending your opinion. But the latter is admittedly more cinematic.
How do you classify Gentleman Jim? It falls within the biography, sports, true story, action, romance, and comedy spheres. The comedy is laced particularly thick; this is a film that the little ones can see. The adults can appreciate it as well, especially if it is taken as a diversion rather than as credible history.