When filmgoers complain that they don't make 'em like they used to, such grousing surely doesn't apply to the inspirational sports flick. If there's a genre that seems as cryogenically frozen in time as Walt Disney's head, it's the one about the spunky underdog athlete -- which might help explain why the good folks of Disney are particularly adept at such movies, exemplified in recent years by Remember the Titans, The Rookie, Miracle and Glory Road.

Add Invincible to that roster. While as formulaic and predictable as every other film of its ilk, it also scores points for (as a zillion sports movies have put it) having plenty of heart. Based on the life of Vince Papale, a blue-collar stiff who catapulted from tending bar to NFL heroics, this is a story tailor-made for the big screen. That it takes place in the Philadelphia of 1976 -- the same year that movie audiences were cheering on fictitious Philly Rocky Balboa -- is just too perfect.

Mark Wahlberg stars as Vince, just another South Philly schlub trying to eke out a living during an economic recession. His longtime buddies, with whom he routinely plays sandlot football, are caught up in union strikes and factory layoffs. Vince, who works as a bartender and a substitute teacher, is not immune to such woes. He loses his teaching job and then loses his wife; she subsequently cleans out most of the furnishings in their modest rowhouse. Adding insult to injury, Vince's beloved Eagles have just wrapped up another losing season.

Opportunity arrives when the beleaguered Eagles bring in a new head coach, UCLA's Dick Vermeil (Greg Kinnear). Determined to stir things up, Vermeil announces open tryouts for anyone in the City of Brotherly Love who harbors dreams of the NFL. The 30-year-old Vince doesn't hold out much hope of making the team, having only played a year of varsity football back in high school, but he gives it a shot. His abilities impress Vermeil, who invites Vince to Eagles training camp.

In a movie like this, the proverbial "odds" are there for the sole purpose of being overcome. Invincible does not disappoint, as Vince withstands the abuse of threatened teammates and his own recurrent self-doubt. Thankfully, he can count on the love of a good woman, Janet (the lovely Elizabeth Banks), a fellow barkeep and staunch New York Giants fan.

This is formulaic stuff, alright, but you wouldn't know it by the top-notch work of cast and crew. First-time director (and veteran cinematographer) Ericson Core brings heart and sincerity to what easily could have been creaky material. His work as cinematographer is also a big plus, lending the picture a gorgeous, sepia-toned look. As for the acting, Wahlberg and Kinnear give fine, earnest performances. Banks, who has the thankless role of being the romantic interest, gets mileage from her considerable feistiness.

Invincible is old-fashioned schmaltz, sure, but the tried-and-true is nothing to scoff at when it's executed with this much assured craftsmanship.

Presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, Invincible boasts a terrific-looking picture free of defects. Director-cinematographer Ericson Core infuses the film with a luster well-preserved in the print transfer.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 is superb, boasting a gripping and immersive audio track. In addition, it nicely showcases Mark Isham's evocative music score and a nifty mullet-sanctioned soundtrack of 1970s-era tunes by the likes of Jim Croce, Bachman-Turner Overdrive and Jackson Browne. A French audio track is available in 2.0.

Viewers can select subtitles in English, Spanish or French.

In a sly imitation of NFL documentary films, Becoming Invincible: The Story of Vince Papale (25:38) incorporates interviews with Papale, Vermeil and others in this lively and entertaining take on the real-life tale.

Two commentaries are available. The first boasts Papale, producer Mark Cirardi and screenwriter Brad Gann, but Papale is clearly the main attraction -- as well he should be. His enthusiasm is contagious, and he comes off as far less introverted than Wahlberg's portrayal of him. The second track features Core and editor Jerry Greenberg; they have a nice rapport and provide informative remarks.

Rounding out things are sneak peeks for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest; Roving Mars; The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe Extended Edition; The Heart of the Game, Scrubs: The Complete Fifth Season, The Guardian, The Invisible and coming to Blu-Ray.

You know exactly what to expect with Invincible, from the go-for-it sports montage to the scenes of father-son bonding to the big games and all the dramas they inevitably entail. Still, the movie works, largely because you sense that the filmmakers have a genuine love for the particulars of this story.