‘Hands of Stone’ doesn’t pull its punches

Duran biopic ‘Hands of Stone’ doesn’t pull its punches but isn’t that powerful

The Panamanian Duran was, of course, much better than an average boxer, having held world titles as a lightweight, welterweight, light middleweight and middleweight.

He is, though, perhaps best known for forfeiting during a 1980 rematch with rival “Sugar” Ray Leonard, during which he allegedly uttered the phrase “no mas,” or no more. (Duran disputes he said that, but he did stop fighting as he grew tired of Leonard’s dancing and taunting of him in the fight’s seventh round.)

Writer-director Jonathan Jakubowicz offers a fairly full portrait of Duran in “Hands of Stone.” Jakubowicz rightfully celebrates the fighter but doesn’t avoid his warts, which grow greatly in size following the forfeiture. Too often, however — and especially when co-star Robert De Niro isn’t on screen as legendary boxing coach Ray Arcel — “Hands of Stone” labors through its punches.

The first chunk of the film is dedicated to Duran’s childhood in the rough, tension-filled streets of Panama. This is important to set up who Duran is, but, unfortunately, it isn’t all that compelling.

“Hands of Stone” could be compared to an average to slightly aboveaverage boxer. ¶ The Roberto Duran biopic starts slow, pacing itself, but then really picks up steam and throws a few haymakers before, ultimately, running out of gas and finishing unremarkably.

It is when a young Duran (David Arosemena) first shows a gift for boxing, yelling at an opponent he’s just knocked down, “Stand up you coward!”

Things start to pick up when we meet adult Duran (Edgar Ramirez), a rising fighter whose camp is trying to recruit Arcel to come out of retirement to train him. Because Arcel years ago made a deal with the New York City mob that he would never earn money from boxing again, he agrees to train Duran for free.

Arcel tries to instill the importance of patience in the ring, and he teaches Duran words such as “strategy” and, more humorously, “schmuck.”

As Arcel’s influence leads to more victories in the ring, Duran also enjoys one in his personal life, successfully wooing Felicidad (Ana de Armas), a beautiful girl he first calls “Blondie” and has to work to win over.

Felicidad ultimately points him in an important direction career-wise.

“If you want to make the people proud,” she says, “this is the guy to beat.”

She is pointing to a publication featuring Leonard, whom she calls the symbol of American sports.

The high point of “Hands of Stone” is the first bout with Leonard (music star Usher Raymond), an epic clash featuring both fighters at something at least close to their best.

This is also Jakubowicz, a Venezuelan filmmaker whose “Secuestro Express” received some accolades, at his best. The sequence is brimming with energy and excitement. The other boxing sequences don’t quite reach that height and perhaps are hurt by last year’s fantastic “Creed” and its superb fight scenes being too fresh in our memory.

In the starring role, Ramirez, who last year made memorable appearances in “Joy” and the “Point Break” remake, continues to prove to be an interesting actor. His Duran is complex — high, low and everything in between at various times.

And yet, Ramirez alone is not enough. When he shares a scene with veteran actor De Niro, “Hands of Stone” gets a needed lift.

The same can be said for scenes with de Armas, appearing in her second film in as many weeks. However, while the beautiful CubanSpanish actress was little more than eye candy in “War Dogs,” she gets to flex her talent here. Her Felicidad is an appealingly strong woman who at times supports her husband and at others is rightfully infuriated by him.

(Considering her fine work in “Hands of Stone,” a recently released redband trailer parading what proves to be a largely unnecessary and gratuitous sex scene featuring de Armas not only smacks of desperation by the film’s studio, The Weinstein Co., but also feels like a disservice to her.)

There is one more performer in need of a note: Reg. E. Cathey (“House of Cards,” “Fantastic Four”) is a blast in very limited screen time as infamous boxing promoter Don King. He has the line of the movie, but it’s not fit for print.

“Hands of Stone” is the latest bit of proof that it is difficult to make a spectacular biopic. To craft a compelling narrative, writers and directors often eschew a linear narrative for a story that builds to the subject’s biggest moment and put others where they fit best in service of momentum and themes. Jakubowicz sticks to a chronological story, and the results are pedestrian, even though it’s understandable why what is ultimately a redemption story appealed to him.

Sticking with Jakubowicz’s work as a writer here, a subplot involving Arcel’s estranged daughter adds so little to the story that you wonder what may have been left on the cutting room floor, especially given the movie’s relatively short runtime.

Still, “Hands of Stone” is a fine way to spend less than two hours of your life, especially if you have an interest in Duran or even boxing in general.

Just don’t expect a knockout.

Robert De Niro, left, and Edgar Ramirez appear in a scene from “Hands of Stone.”