Ready to Rumble

	Review by Howard Anderson © 2000 Howard Anderson

Synopsis

Wrestling champion, Jimmy King (Oliver Platt), is everything die-hard wrestling fans Gordie Boggs (David Arquette) and Sean Dawkins (Scott Caan) would love to be. A dreamer, an athlete, a true champion - with his crown, cape and scepter, he is a giant in his profession. Other wrestlers can only tremble in fear of his deadly finishing move, "The Crown" - a two-handed flying slap.

Gordie and Sean live at home, have dead end jobs and no girlfriends, but none of that matters on Friday night when they at last get to see their idol live and in person at the local WCW coliseum.

But as the lights swirl and the Nitro girls dance, something goes horribly wrong for the King. He is ambushed by a ring-full of hostile turn-coats. At the match's shocking end, Jimmy King takes a mighty, career-ending fall. Heartbroken and in shock, Gordie and Sean nonetheless decide to embark on an odyssey of discovery to root out their fallen hero.

In space fourteen of the St. Francis Motor Court, they come face to face with a drunken, bitter Jimmy King, a phony with a made-up past whose inspirational phrases were scripted. But Gordie and Sean will not be discouraged. Beneath the beer gut and grizzle, they still see glimpses of their hero and vow to do whatever it takes to restore their King to his throne, no matter how many rules - or bones - get broken in the process.

Review

There is only one way to sum up this movie, and that is: KICK-ASS!!! If you're looking for a insanely good time and some dangerously great laughs, then look no further, because "Ready To Rumble" will rule you! This is the kind of film that makes you wanna do one of two things - either watch it again instantly, or become a professional wrestler. I watched it again instantly. The cast is impeccable, especially David Arquette, who is just wild, and Oliver Platt, the true king of this film. But let me make it crystal clear that Scott Caan, Rose McGowan and Joe Pantoliano are no less awesome. And then there's Martin Landau, as the old-school wrestler with some rather unique teaching methods, and he cracked he up so bad I think I've actually dislocated my jaw. No shit. There are also, of course, some very impressive wrestling personalities featured in this film, like the massive Bill Goldberg, Diamond Dallas Page, and Sting, and they all play themselves really, really well.

Director Brian Robbins has crafted a truly unique experience with "Ready To Rumble", and along with the stunning cinematography of Clark Mathis, I found myself completely lost in this cool-as-hell movie. The script is awesome, the dialogue is awesome, the acting is awesome, and the music is freakin' awesome. This here is an awesome movie. It is the laugh-slammin', no-holds-barred comedy of the year, and I pity the soul who misses it.

Image

Warner Bros. has served up a mighty sweet DVD with "Ready To Rumble", and the 16x9 enhanced image in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio looks spectacular. There's a lot of rich colors used thoughout this film, and everything holds up perfectly from the opening sequence to the end credits. I could not detect any flaws of any kind. Way to go!

Sound

The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is alive and kickin'. It totally envelopes you and, very effectively, places you right in the middle of the action. The bass is slammin' and the LFE channel is given plenty to do, especially during the wresting matches, where also the surrounds are kept constantly busy. This film is also smack full of great music, and every track heard here packs quite a punch. Rock on!

Features

There are some really fun extra features to be found on this disc, and first and foremost is the Feature Length Audio Commentary with David Arquette, Scott Caan and Ahmet Zappa. The Commentary track is as funny as they come (it cracked me up nearly as much as the movie did), and I also prefer it when, during multiple participant tracks, that whoever the people are doing the talking, are spread out across all three front speakers, like Warner has skillfully done here. There is also a feature called "No Holds Barred", where you basically get to see David Arquette and Scott Caan having a quick between-takes rumble in the ring. It's well worth a look. The really cool Bif Naked "We're Not Gonna Take It" Music Video has also been included, as well as a little feature called "Get Ready", which is another musical tidbit. There's a "WCW Wrestlers Interview Gallery", and something called " Up Close with the Nitro Girls", where you get another taste of the real-life stars of the Wrestling scene. And to round it all off, there's also the Theatrical Trailer and Cast & Crew filmographies.

Overall Opinion

Well, what can I say that hasn't already been said? I loved every second of the film, all aspects of the DVD is great, and it's got Rose McGowan in it. What more of a reason could you possibly need to pick up this film?