Blu-ray Review: The Wrestler

The Wrestler
Written by: Robert D. Siegel
Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
Starring: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, and Evan Rachel Wood

Blu-ray Specs:
Widescreen 2.35:1
1080p High Definition
5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
5.1 Spanish Dolby Digital
AVS @28Mbps
English SDH and Spanish Subtitles

Special Features:
Within The Ring - A No-Holds Barred One-on-One with Wrestlers and Filmmakers, Wrestler Round Table - More Gritty Truth from Wrestling Hall-of-Famers, "The Wrester" Music Video - Written and Performed by Bruce Springsteen, Digital Copy for Portable Media Players

The Wrestler has received critical acclaim and is on numerous best of lists from countless critics. It is being hailed as a come-back film for Mickey Rourke and is receiving heaps and heaps of praise.

But is it worthy of all the positive reviews it's getting?

Click the Rawr! to find out.




The truth is, The Wrestler is just an okay movie with an extremely deep and touching performance at its core. Without the performance of Mickey Rourke, I doubt this movie would have made a bleep on anyone's radar.

The story surrounds Randy "The Ram", a former superstar wrestler who now wrestles on weekends in small matches. He dreams of getting back on top and when an opportunity to recapture the glory of one of his greatest matches presents itself he is eager to be involved. Unfortunately, his body decides otherwise as he discovers a serious health problem may just derail his plans completely. It is this concern that leads him to attempt reconciliation with his estranged daughter.

The movie isn't bad. I'm not saying that at all. It's just a movie that fails to live up to the hype that has surrounded it. It's a small indie film that harkens back to the real days of independent film. It's gritty and raw and dark but it's just missing something for me.

The performances from the actors are all great. Marisa Tomei, who I always love, gives a brave performance as a stripper who Randy is infatuated with. Evan Rachel Wood plays his daughter and does so with great effecting emotion.

The real story here, of course, is Mickey Rourke. He gives such a great performance here. It's staggering. He plays this part to a perfect tee. I know that people are likening his performance to his real life but it's clear that Rourke feels the same way because every word, every emotion is so heartbreakingly genuine that it boggles the mind he was overlooked for the Oscar.

Despite this, the film still fails to surpass the bar. It's a good film and well worth the watch but I don't think it will sustain repeat viewing. It's a decent film with an amazing performance.

The Blu-ray looks great. It still maintains that gritty and grainy feel while somehow looking pristine all the while. The special features are extremely interesting and give some great viewpoints from former wrestlers. These would be especially noteworthy for fans of the sport, which I haven't been for going on 15 years or so. We also get a music video for Bruce Springsteen's song for the film which was criminally overlooked at the Oscars. I really think there should be a rule that only one song for any movie is eligible for nominations. His song certainly had a shot at taking the trophy had it been given the much deserved nomination.

The truth is, The Wrestler is certainly a film worth watching, especially to witness one of the greatest performances of Mickey Rourke's career (another being the brilliant Sin City). I don't see myself rewatching it again any time soon unless I'm showing it to someone who hasn't seen it. That doesn't make it a film to skip by any means. While it isn't the brilliant film that some people claim it is, The Wrestler is certainly a film to see at least once, if only to witness one of the bravest and most heart felt performances of the year.

The Wrestler is available now on DVD and Blu-Ray.