Note, the following reviews MAY contain spoilers from the film, so if you do NOT want to know anything about plot details prior to viewing yourself, please do not read any further.
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I think the wrestler portrays a great story for young Indy pro wrestlers such as myself and I would vote it for the best movie in 2008 hands down and I would love to see it win some awards it shows that the wrestling business although some people might find it fake it is also very very hard to do and not easy to be successful in the business.
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I was able to see “The Wrestler” when it opened at Landmark Sunshine Cinema when it first opened in New York City. Overall I thought the movie was excellent. At times it didn’t feel like I was watching a movie. It felt more like a documentary following the life of Randy “The Ram”. Mickey Rourke did a great job bringing his character to life. The movie was more emotional than I previously expected. It was sad seeing following the life, and you get attached to his character, hoping he can reclaim one last success in life, whether its in the ring or out of the ring. I was able to attend one of the movie taping in New Jersey at an ROH show with my friends SAM and Cindy, so it was a nice treat seeing all three of us in the film. I can’t wait to go and see the movie again!
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I watched The Wrestler yesterday. As far as it being “the movie of 2008” I can’t see that being the case, in any scenario.
It wasn’t a bad movie, not many high points basically the entire movie is 1 big low point. They flashed his entire career in the opening credits then when the movie started it was all the typical “washed up” wrestler scenario. I would have liked to see 15 or 20 minutes of the good then get the “15 years later” prompt.
Also the movie ended abruptly, I mean I think anyone watching knows what happened or was going to happen…but the ending needed something else, not just fade to black. Watching the movie, all I could think was Jake Roberts and Scott Hall at times.
From 1 to 10 in my opinion the movie was a 6…and I’m a HUGE wrestling fan. By far NOT the best movie of 2008, that’s just goofy talk.
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I finally got to see The Wrestler after waiting nearly a month for it to get to an area I could go to see it. From start to finish I was intrigued, to say the least, with this story line. It is a story that will draw you in, especially if you are a man and have any shortcomings whatsoever. Everyone can feel what Randy, that’s Mickey Rourkes’ characters name, is going through. It is actually strange how this man abandoned his daughter, and I’m assuming his girlfriend or wife, doesn’t pay his bills, goes to strip clubs, uses drugs, and has sex with strange women in bathrooms and yet you still feel bad for this guy. You just know that he is a good guy. I was very happy that Nicholas Cage did not star in this movie, not because I don’t like Cage, I was happy that they didn’t cast a superstar to take away from the story. But as far as the acting goes it was phenomenal. Rourke was great as a “broke down piece of meat” as he put it in the movie. Sometimes in movies parts seem forced and actors just aren’t a good fit for their characters, but Rourke was born to play Randy “The Ram”. Marisa Tomei played an excellent part also. Her character Cassidy or Pam whatever you want to call her was a mirror of Randy. She is an over the hill stripper, who in my opinion is at the peak of the mountain I mean WOW. Everyone in this movie played their parts and drew you right in to the movie. There are highs and lows to the movie and is nearly 2 hours long, but at no point during this movie did I once get up and go to the restroom or concession stand, it never slowed to a point where I was wishing it would end or became bored. These are the people I wish would have done “Andre, Heart of a Giant”. It has my vote as best movie of 2008 and that is going over “The Dark Knight” and “Iron Man”.
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Hi, my name is Raf and I wanted to pass along a quick review of The Wrestler. I believe any fan of wrestling, whether you be casual or hardcore, owes it to themselves to see this movie. I’m not one who claims to know what goes on inside the ring or backstage for that matter, but I thought it showed the realities of wrestling quite well. All the allusions to the WWE were quite impressive as any wrestling fan would have picked up on what the “Show” was, that was mentioned a few times throughout. I read a story online that Vinnie O’Mac hated this film, and im not surprised. Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson is a mishmash of former WWE/WCW/ECW stars. Athletes who are way past their prime, yet still compete, if not simply for the adoration of the crowd. I don’t want to give too much away, but I did think the subplot of having an estranged daughter was tacked on and felt out of place to myself. The documentary style that the movie was filmed in also adds to the atmosphere, and during the portion of the film with the Necro Butcher match, I found myself in horror and joy as i realized why I love the sport so much. These men sacrifice their bodies for our entertainment, they build their lives around making us feel something, whether it be love towards a face, or hate towards a heel. Mickey Rourke made this character his own, the only other character this year that was on the same level was the late, great Heath Ledger, as The Joker. Please go see this film and help it get the recognition it deserves, as I find a lot of the mainstream audience will not go to see it as they will laugh at the subject matter. I think this film is the third best film of 2008, Number one being Slumdog Millionaire and Number two being The Dark Knight.
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
