The Wrestler

...first off, if you were hoping for a RAGING BULL or REQUIEM FOR A HEAVYWEIGHT about pro wrestling, this picture doesn't even step towards the goal, let alone come close. Ed Asner and Elaine Giftos are fine comic actors, but they're better sampled respectively on any given "Mary Tyler Moore" episode or in GAS-S-S-S. No, this picture is strictly for fans of the Minneapolis-based American Wrestling Association of the late '60s and early '70s. That promotion was owned and largely starred Verne Gagne, who was one of the greatest ring acrobats of all time. Gagne apparently had a commitment in the 1960s from Minneapolis theater owner W.R. Frank to make a theatrical film, essentially using the wrestlers in the AWA (as well as announcers Marty O'Neill and Rod Tronguard) as the main cast. The thing wasn't pulled together until several years after Frank died, even though his name appears on the credits; it's likely that Gagne himself also produced and wrote this movie while only taking the screen credits as executive producer and actor...

...after the movie made the circuit of drive-ins and four-wall theaters in the Upper Midwest towns where the AWA held their house shows, Gagne started claiming he made this movie to prove that wrestlers couldn't act. That was strictly a kayfabe bit to try to keep the marks in the fold, as latter-day wrestlers like Roddy Piper and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson have proved some of them can act up a storm on a movie set. But THE WRESTLER doesn't even give Asner a whole lot to work with, let alone Billy Robinson or Superstar Billy Graham, just to mention two of the top wrestlers in the AWA at the time. But if, like me, you were a fan of the Saturday night mayhem Gagne committed to video screens in '74, all the old ring faces are themselves worth the hour and a half it takes to watch this one...

Quite simply, this movie should be remembered as a pure piece of Americana at its finest. In 1973 wrestling promoter Verne Gagne took some of the best wrestlers in the pro wrestling world and got them to make a movie about pro wrestling. The movie, 30 years in retrospect, looks more like a cheeky documentary produced in the classic "kayfabe" style (the traditional promotion of wrestling as a sport, cloaked in mystique and tradition).

The wrestling talent is pure, raw and unadulterated - featuring stars such as Dick the Bruiser, the Crusher, Nick Bockwinkle, Ric Flair, Dory Funk Jr, and "Dirty" Dick Murdoch, Dusty Rhodes and many others - all young and in just starting to hit their peaks. And in a rare appearance, Vincent J. McMahon, the progenitor of the now popular WWF/WWE - promoting pro wrestling in the old style, before the glitz, glamor and entertainment hoopla surrounding it. Verne Gagne himself also appears in this movie as one of its main stars, putting himself over the competition in his typical egotistical, yet entertaining, style.

But this movie isn't all wrestling. There's a good story to be told here, essentially giving the viewer the feel as if they've cut right into the middle of a traditional wrestling program. There is no real start or ending to this story, but it is another chapter in the daily struggle of faces and heels.

Ed Asner is the main star here, his acting ability along with his middle-age looks are a perfect fit for the character, he really does look like a wrestling promoter trying to keep his business together and defending it from the outside corrupting influences of a local mobster (played by legendary wrestler & commentator "Slammin'" Sam Menacker).

There is no comparison to any other wrestling movie made, this one is definitely the undisputed heavyweight champion!

I have been a fan of pro wrestling for well over 15 years and have seen other wrestling movies like "Body Slam" and "Grunt-The Wrestling Movie". I had always heard of "The Wrestler" starring Ed Asner and of course I could never find a copy to rent. Imagine my surprise when I found several copies of it in a $3 bin at a local Wal-Mart! Well, needless to say I bought it, even though I had never seen the flick. It is a great movie for all wrestling fans!

What does my summary say -- the best wrestling movie ever period. I tried for thirteen years to finally see the ending (you can't find it anywhere), and it was extrodinary. I must admit, this seems like what they got Ready To Rumble from, but I have to give this a beautiful

10/10

I saw a DVD copy of this movie in the cheap bin for $3 so I decided to buy a copy. I heard about it many years ago in wrestling magazines, and the general consensus was that it's considered to be a poor movie.

If the point of movies is to keep the audience entertained, then I think it succeeds. It is certainly better than the other kayfabe movies "No Holds Barred" and "Ready to Rumble" who seem to treat the subject matter with disrespect. I also liked it better than the other movies that break kayfabe, "Beyond the Mat" and "Wrestling with Shadows".

A lot of 1970s wrestling stars make appearances and cut pretty good promos, even though they are from well before my time: Dusty Rhodes and Superstar Billy Graham are the ones that stood out the most for me. I wish Ric Flair had a more prominent role, but in fairness, he was just a rookie then.