Ready to Rumble (2000)

Simply Perfect

i must have seen a different film!!

It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Except that Platt kind of won me over in Lake Placid. So I tried it. I loathe pro-wrestling. Pro-wrestlers can be amazing athletes but come on. That crap is cotton candy for the brain and it will cause neural-decay. Having said that, this movie is a must see for lovers of the low-brow! It has crazy-hot eye candy, great action, a surprisingly awesome cast, AND it will crown your funny-bone. If you let it, this show will RULE you! This is definitely watchable every couple of years.

In the late 90's, watching pro-wrestling was so popular, as the sport entertainment was reaching another golden age. This movie made for pro-wrestling fans was pretty mediocre at best. First off, the comedy film directed by Brian Robbins kinda insult wrestling fans by making them the lowest of the low. They act like watching wrestling was the lowest thing ever by having two of the most idiotic protagonists in sewage workers fanboys Gordie Boggs (David Arquette) and Sean Dawkins (Scott Caan) whom trying to recaptured their favorite wrestler's spotlight by having Jimmy King (Oliver Platt) go after the championship belt after he been screw out of the championship by the promoter Titus Sinclair (Joe Pantoliano) and wrestler Diamond Dallas Page (playing himself). Both fan boys come off, as annoying, immature, gross-out man-child. Being call losers from everybody from fast food workers, grocery store clerks, and small time cops for liking wrestling, it felt like the movie is trying to make fun of wrestling fans for liking wrestling. That's isn't how we treat your target audience. Second off, the film has this complete garble between breaking kayfabe and keeping it. Then it shoot in the film to the point that it's doesn't make any sense. A good example of this is the plot. If the promoter because he doesn't want him to wrestle because the King was mistreating people, then there is no way, he would be able to come back. Why would anybody root for this guy, anyways? First off, Jimmy King doesn't even look like a wrestler and he is pretty awful person. If the film took so time, to explain more of Jimmy King's backstory, then it would make more sense if he was an aging ex-wrestler trying to get one last comeback similar to 2008's the Wrestler. Still, there is little charm to the character. It doesn't make sense for the adults to be still marking for this wrestler. How is Jimmy King even popular? He come up heelish, he does an awful rap and based on the movie, barely can wrestle, but he is able to be champion for so long? Also, did Jimmy King not have a contract? Why would you have a world champion without them being under contract? If, Titus Sinclair didn't want him to be in WCW, then why did he set up an expensive marketing PPV about his return to wrestling to challenge Diamond Dallas Page? Wouldn't promoting a real life shoot fight with a person that isn't under contract would land WCW in trouble with the law in real life because of the dangers of the match? It's doesn't make sense. In no way, would he get rehired. In real life, he would have been banned from any WCW events or kick out. Even if King won, Titus still own the company in the film, and could still fire him or strip him of the belt. Written by Steven Brill, the film is bit dated in its material, when the whole plot revolved around the World Championship Wrestling and its cohorts which has been defunct a year after the film's release. A lot of WCW wrestlers make cameos, and it's a great showcase of the talent back then. Still, you can tell the different between the actors and the wrestlers. Not by their acting skills, all the acting in this film was pretty bad. I'm talking about their look. Rose McGowan is supposed to be a Nitro Girl dancer, but in no way, does she even look like she belong there. Most of the other Nitro Girls were fitness models and were a bit meaty. Another sub character was Sal Bandini (Martin Landau). The sub-plot of Jimmy King getting train with Stu Hart like wrestler, Sal Bandini went nowhere as King doesn't use any submission moves in the final match. Most of the training scenes in this movie was very useless as it felt like filling scenes between the challenge and the fight. Even, the sub-plot about Gordie's father not wanting Gordie to become a wrestler seem force as Gordie was able to be a wrestler without little training. The biggest insult of this film was how they promote it. They had David Arquette win the World Championship on television against the wishes of the fans and wrestlers. In many reasons, actions such like these are the reason why a lot of WCW viewers turn off the program and turn to WWE (WWF at the time) for better entertaining values. No wrestling fan doesn't want to see a B-List actor win the title because he didn't earn it. It really did devalue the belt in such high regard. Anyways, the small amount of wrestling matches in the film were surprising good in my opinion. Diamond Dallas Page, Shane Helms and Kanyon did a great job training the actors and being stunt doubles. The humor and the comedy was below funny. It did had it funny moments, but all the groin kicking and toilet humor was pretty dumb. They even rip off jokes from 1995, Mallrats. That movie wasn't even funny, too. The movie draws its title from ring announcer Michael Buffer's catchphrase, "Let's get ready to rumble!" and Buffer sports a cameo in the film. Overall, the film wasn't that good, but it has it cult following due to its ties with wrestling. I'm not embarrassed of somewhat liking the movie a bit, too. Even if it's a bit dumb and predictable. Even if you're not a huge wrestling fan, there is enough 1990's nostalgia that might get you onboard to watching it. If you are a huge wrestling fan, it's a must watch. At less, watch it once.

When I first started watching this movie I was expecting it to be absolutely hilarious with some great wrestling thrown in. Well there was some good wrestling scenes and a few funny lines. But while watching it I found myself replying to messages checking Facebook and going off to get drinks and food with out even bothering to pause the film. It might sound like I'm just getting ready to absolutely slate this movie, but I'm not, don't get me wrong this film wasn't great but it wasn't a painful watch either. After the two best mates watch there lifelong favourite wrestler 'Jimmy King' get the crap beaten out of him during a wrestling match, they decide to go find this 'Jimmy King' and help him get the world championship belt back. This is the main story line and like I said a few good laughs are chucked in as well, but that was basically it. Something I will say though is that for some reason I couldn't bring myself to turn it off and also that I did enjoy it. This defiantly isn't a film I would recommend but not one I would say to stay clear off either, if its on TV at one point watch it but don't go and rent it and defiantly don't go out and buy it.

As I am I die hard wrestling fan (so are my siblings), we decided to bring a couple of dvds with us on our trip, one of them were obviously Ready to Rumble. Honestly, since the first time to the most recent time I have watched this movie has been my favorite movie ever, I could watch it a million times and never get tired of it. This movies has action, romance and stupid humour which makes an all around good movie. True wrestling fans will love it especially since the two main characters mainly Dave A. are huge fans of the business and makes it even more interesting. I think the the DVD could have had more special features, deleted scenes but they did show bloopers at the end of the movie. They have a commentary version and I have watched that and enjoyed that also because they tell you information that you wouldn't have known otherwise and they all are hilarious. AMAZING, BEST MOVIE EVER....I WISH THEY MAKE A SECOND ONE WITH THE WWE, IT WOULD BE AWESOME. I wish I could request a ready to rumble 2....it would be awesome. IT IS AND WILL ALWAYS B MY FAV MOVIE!