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Muddled ‘Hands of Stone’ doesn’t pack much punch

Roberto Duran was famously known for having hands of stone.

But in the hands of writer-director Jonathan Jakubowicz, the legendary Panamanian boxer also has all the charisma of a bag of wet sand.

Heck, Duran (Edgar Ramirez) is only the third- or fourth-most interesting person in his own muddled biopic.

For someone who is regarded as a national hero in Panama, “Hands of Stone,” which bills itself as the biggest film ever produced in that nation, treats its subject pretty shabbily. Not only is the movie a warts-and-all look at Duran, even those warts have warts — with a few carbuncles thrown in for good measure.

Duran is so fueled by anti-American sentiment — based on the fact that his American father abandoned him, not to mention the American occupation of the Panama Canal Zone and his being harassed by the U.S. military stationed there — that when his manager, Carlos Eleta (Ruben Blades), introduces him to legendary trainer Ray Arcel (Robert De Niro) as the man who can guide him to a world title, Duran is more interested in eating ice cream.

Duran shockingly disrespects the wife of his opponent, Sugar Ray Leonard (singer Usher Raymond). He’s hostile to and distrustful of everyone who ever tries to help him. He’s even alternately beloved and despised by his own countrymen.

Duran fought 119 bouts, including 14 in Las Vegas. But “Hands of Stone” really focuses on only two of those: both matches against Leonard in 1980, including the infamous “No Mas” fight.

Meanwhile, “Hands of Stone” wanders around, going back to the time Arcel survived a 1953 attack in which the Mafia — represented solely by John Turturro — tried to kill him for attempting to take boxing nationwide, rather than just keeping the big fights in New York, which the mob controlled.

There’s an out-of-nowhere scene involving Arcel reconnecting with his estranged, adopted, junkie daughter.

We also get a glimpse of gaudy, 1980 Vegas in one of several scenes that lack the proper context.

And there are occasional references to history and politics that often make “Hands of Stone” feel like a movie by Panamanians for Panamanians that just happened to get a U.S. release.

Ramirez exhibits some star appeal as Duran, even though we’re given zero reason to root for him — which, again, seems like an odd choice for a biopic.

Usher is surprisingly convincing and charismatic as the showboating Leonard. And, based on the film’s brief scenes, I’d watch an entire movie with Reg E. Cathey (“House of Cards”) as Don King.

But the performances — even the solid work from Ramirez’s “Joy’ co-star De Niro — never add up to a compelling movie.

“Hands of Stone” simply never connects in the way Duran’s legendary punches did.

Contact Christopher Lawrence at clawrence@reviewjournal.com. On Twitter: @life_onthecouch.

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