The Wrestler: How would you rate it?

[Kermit]

Alright, my roommate and I are thinking about renting this movie to watch. I have seen the reviews, and they seem to be pretty good, but I'd like to get a wrestling fan's insight on it.

Please No Spoilers

If you could tell me how you would rate it out of ten, and write a small review that doesn't give away anything too important.

 

[Matth3w]

9/10. It really is as brilliant as reviewers make it out to be, even better if you're a wrestling fan. Gets an extra point because Evan Rachel Wood stars in it, one of the most talented and beautiful actresses in years

 

[Mustang Sally]

I'd give it a 10. It was exactly the kind of movie a true wrestling fan could appreciate: the man who had been at the top and struggles on after his glory years are over. A non-wrestling fan could also appreciate the story of a person who has reached the heights and is now in decline.

It was the best thing Mickey Rourke ever did......you could see how important the role was to him.

 

[Murphy]

Very good film. You can match Randy Robinson's career with a lot of wrestlers careers, Jake Roberts, Jerry Lynn, ect. Mickey Rourke does a fantastic job playing a washed up wrestler, still trying to wrestle despite being broken-down and beat up.

You can tell The makers know a lot about wrestling, by the little things they add. One example being The main character wants to be reffered to by his wrestling name Randy, and not his actual name Robin. Showing this takes up about two minutes from the entire film, yet you can compare this with several different wrestlers like HHH, Big Show ect. ect.

Randy has a torn realationship he's trying to patch up with his daughter, but it proves difficult for her to accept him. Randy’s only real realationship is with a stripper named Cassidy, whom he visits regularly and plies with dollar bills. For both of them, there’s more there than a business transaction. Cassidy, really shines in her role as a stripper on the edge of being past her prime, and starting to feel it. Both can be compared, their not willing to call it a day and say their best days are up. Also it seems like they don't know much about life off stage (Randy especially).

I saw this film with a couple of friends that viewed wrestling as fake, and for ******. But after watching they gained a new respect for wrestling. No longer am I annoyed when watching wrestling. It took me forever to get them to go 'cause I didn't want to go to the cinema alone. And I'm delighted they went. Their opinions show you don't need to be a wrestling fan to enjoy the film.

It gets 5 stars from me.

 

[Davi323]

It is a very good movie, you shouldn't hesitate at all to rent this. It isn't a wrestling movie per say, its more of a really good drama that happens to use wrestling as a plot device. Its a lot more like Rocky than it is Ready to Rumble. Besides, any chance you have to see Marissa Tomei's exquisite nude body, you gotta take it.

 

[HellBoundPower]

The wrestler was an amazing movie! One of my favorites of all time! Mickey Rourke did an awesome job playing a beaten down, washed up wrestler holding on to his dreams. It was well acted by everyone involved. I'm sure most wrestling fans would/will love the movie, as well as people who don't even like wrestling. It's just an all out good movie, and I would recommend it to anyone.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I'd probably give it a 7. It was a decent movie, but it could have used more in-ring action and less of certain other scenes. I cannot go into more detail without spoiling. It did, however, do a good job of showing fans what it's like to be a wrestler and to see it from their perspective. So while there were some things I disliked about it, it was still a good movie that I'd watch again so I give it a 7 out of 10 because the good about it outweighs the bad.

 

[Rasha]

Like Davi323 said, this is very much like "Rocky" in that it's a drama about a man and he deals with both his relationships and his place in the world. One positive difference I would give is that there is much more insight and relevance to the fact that Rourke's a professional wrestler than there was to Stallone playing a boxer. However, the sport is still just a backdrop to the real story.

It was one of my five favorite movies from the entire 2000-2009 decade, if that give you any indication how highly I rate it.

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

It's more like Raging Bull than Rock or ready to rumble. It should have won best pic that year. 10/10. Great acting, great character study, very raw and real.

To the guy who said he wanted more in ring action let me ask you this. Did you go into Gran torino expecting a car racing movie? the movie is about psychological and emotional depth, not action.

 

[Kermit]

Thank you all for the reviews, i finally got around to watching it last night. I was a great movie in my opinion. It was very interesting to see something like "True Story: I'm a professional wrestler," made into a movie. The acting was superb and i would rate it in the 8 or 9 area.

 

[JGlass]

5/5. It's a great story to begin with, and an even better film. There's no way you can't look at Randy Robinson and feel anything but unbridled pity towards him. He is one of the most depressing character you'll ever see in film, and the people that surround him aren't much better. You get a first class view of watching his life breakdown, and while it's depressing as hell, you simply can't look away.

I'd recommend this movie to anyone, wrestling fan or not.

 

[a0161613]

Yeah it's a wonderful film. It tells a great story outside of the ring and is carried some great action inside it. I love how the in-ring stuff is handled. It's shot brilliantly and looks just as good.

It is bound to touch a nerve of the "hardcore" wrestling fan who likes to think they know what goes on backstage and in the ring. I think fans like us would likely overrate it. However I feel Aronofsky, Rourke and the whole film was unfortunate to not be recognised in the Oscars.

 

[911 JP]

10, im a huge wrestling fan, i loved the film and have watched it so many times that i cant count it on 1 hand. The extras on the dvd are also very kwl. Any time i want to watch the true tale of a wrestler or what that life would be like in that world i watch the wrestler. I wont say more or i will spoil it for u if the other posters havent already.

 

[Any007]

Author: M. J Arocena from New Zealand
Very rarely an artistic come back is so pointed, so truthful and/or so honest. Mickey Rourke is extraordinary here and I can assure you, he'll break your heart. "It's not over until you (pointing at the audience) tell me its over" Who was saying that? Mickey Rourke himself or his character? Both, I think both. I felt a chill run down my spine, the kind of chill you feel when confronted by an unvarnished truth. Darren Aronofsky is definitely someone to watch and to follow. His characters face limit situations and he finds torturous paths for them to travel. What makes the whole thing endurable is the unmistakable signs of self awareness. In "The Wrestler" the painful meeting between Ram and his daughter (played by Evan Rachel Wood) have the overwhelming weight of the truth without a hint of sentimentality.
Awesome movie,4 out of 5 stars from me.

 

[Hollywood Naitch]

I would give it an 8 out of 10, maybe a 9. An excellent movie, and Rourke has clearly spent so much time getting into shape for the role of Randy "The Ram".

I went into it expecting to see alot more in-ring action, but it isnt really about his actual wrestling matches, rather focusing on him as a person and how he struggles to come to terms with the way his career is ending, and desperately trying to reclaim his glory days.

Overall it is a must see movie. My girlfriend, who hates wrestling....is refusing to watch it but I am trying to explain to her that it isnt really about wrestling matches, but about the struggles of the main character.

 

[vampireblade]

loved it 10 out of 10 it shows what happens to a wrestler when they dont hang up their boots when they should however it also shows the will of a man who loves what he does and has passion for everything about wrestling and the human spirit to continue even in the face of adversity

 

[manya]

9/10. It really is as brilliant as reviewers make it out to be, even better if you're a wrestling fan. Gets an extra point because Evan Rachel Wood stars in it, one of the most talented and beautiful actresses in years

Yes,i also give 9/10 rating.

 

[Mike C.]

I gave it a 3/5. Not bad, but certainly not nearly as great as most of the reviews I read suggested it. Found most of the daughter storyline irritating, and didn't care much for the wrestling storyline because it didn't feel particularly real to me that there was such a yearning for a rematch of an indy match from so long ago. I wouldn't watch it again.

 

[RatedRKO2011]

I would have to give it a 4/10 rating and that's me being nice, I love wrestling but that film was so boring I had 2 turn it off halfway through. I'm sorry to all you big fans of the movie but to me I would not recommend it to anyone