Cubussoli Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Selfmageob This was not a good film.

Robert Joyner The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Keeley Coleman The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

moonspinner55 George Segal plays Times Square junkie "J", a smack addict who is set up for a fall by his supplier, a slick street hustler named Vivian (Hector Elizondo). He lives to see another day, but is approached by two narcotics cops to put the frame on Vivian or do serious time. Czech director Ivan Passer's first American film was a personal project for Segal, whose fledgling production company put the deal together (it was originally a very-off Off-Broadway play entitled "Scraping Bottom" by David Scott Milton, who shares the screenplay credit with Passer). While the character of "J" is certainly a change of pace for the star, Segal still looks like a fuzzy, hurt-eyed hamster out to tug at our heartstrings. One gets the impression Segal was willing to go all the way with this material, but that maybe someone talked him into softening this low-life portrait; he's too clear in his thinking, in his decision-making and in his dealings with the cops to make a truly convincing junkie. There's talent all around Segal, including Paula Prentiss as another addict, Karen Black as Segal's square girlfriend, Robert DeNiro as a narc and Burt Young as a hood, but it's really Elizondo's picture. Even though Passer filmed on the gritty streets of New York City, it is Elizondo who provides the movie with its dash of dangerously cool authenticity. ** from ****

Kieran Green 'BORN TO WIN' Is a Downbeat, but Somewhat very funny look at drug addicts, in New York, The ever Excellent George Segal, plays JJ a former Hairdresser,Who is fixed on heroin,and with him on his quest for the perfect fix is his pal played by Jay Fletcer,One night on the streets JJ is attempting to steal a car,but is amusingly caught by the owner who is played by the free spirited Karen Black,who brings Segal home together the pair fall for each other despite Segal's, desperate Heroin ridden antics,Cult Favorite Paula Prentiss,(The Original Stepford Wives) plays JJ's former wife who is Highly strung, unfortunately she becomes property of the local pimp and supplier 'geek' played by Hector Elizondo, One scene in this classic that's worth mentioning is Segal's superb knack for physical comedy is the 'take your clothes off' scene, that see's Segal, at the mercy of the supplier's the scene where Segal attempts to get the attention of the teenager across at the adjacent apartment is a hoot! And Segal's subsequent chase clad only in a robe is hilarious! A Very Young Robert De' Niro, plays an undercover cop out to bust JJ,Don't be fooled by the many DVD's available of this classic with 'De Niro on the cover Segal is the Star!

laursene ... not to direct - Ivan Passer's a master who ought to have steady employment and somehow doesn't. But can someone request Scorsese to get behind a restoration of this fine film? It may have been made on a low budget, but that's no reason why the only way to see it anymore is on disgracefully butchered videotapes that leave the story in fragments and turn the color photography into mush (I doubt it was quite this bad when originally released).I recall from Pauline Kael's review back when it came out that "Born to Win" was dumped on the market and hardly got an audience even then. Maybe with a decent restoration, and a nice DVD transfer, it can finally get some justice? And Ivan Passer can finally get some good projects to work on?On the critical note, and having seen both Born to Win and Midnight Cowboy again recently, I can say that Passer's film holds up a hell of a lot better than Schlesinger's rather more pretentious contraption. Less showboaty, but also far less sentimental and way more powerful. And a good job by the whole cast.

mattymatt4ever There ain't much to say about this obscure flick. Flat direction, stiff camerawork, horrendous lighting, effortless editing, outdated soundtrack and been-there-done-that script. George Segal delivers a fine performance, and it was interesting seeing him in a purely dramatic role after getting used to seeing him on "Just Shoot Me." He basically carries the film, but even he can't save it entirely. And for anybody who finds the DeNiro boxed set with this movie and "Sam's Song,"--buyer beware!! You'll probably get the set for a cheap price, but when I see two videos with the name "DeNiro" plastered across the front of the box, along with a picture of his face, I wanna see two DeNiro movies. DeNiro has a very small role in "Born to Win" as a cop. It is perhaps his worst role up-to-date--and it's kind of ironic, being that I just saw "City By the Sea" and regarded that as one of his best roles up-to-date. So for all you die-hard DeNiro fans--like me--don't get sucked in. Karen Black also delivers a fine performance. Even Hector Elizondo gives a fine early performance. So basically I have to give it up for the cast for giving their all, despite a sub-par script. Like most micro-budget flicks of the 60's and 70's, the resolution is unbelievably grainy and it feels more like a home movie than a motion picture. Even independent films of recent years (including Kevin Smith's "Clerks" which was made on a very, very low budget) have at least a slightly cinematic quality to them. I wouldn't be surprised if I find "Born to Win" playing on the Late Night Movie around 3 in the morning. It has its moments, like Segal running around New York City in a pink dress (hilarious!!), but not enough to make it even an OK movie. My score: 4 (out of 10)