The Movie Guys: Audience gets pinned in ‘Ready to Rumble’

Friday, April 7, 2000 | 9:12 a.m.

The Movie Guys, starring Jeff Howard and Dave Neil, appears Fridays in the Sun. They can also be seen on the 11 a.m. Friday newscast on KVVU Channel 5. Plus, check them out online at lasvegassun.com/sun/sunlife/ movies and themovieguys.com.

Grades: Jeff D, Dave D+.

Starring: David Arquette, Oliver Platt, Scott Caan, Rose McGowan, Diamond Dallas Page, Bill Goldberg.

Screenplay: Steven Brill.

Director: Brian Robbins.

Rated: PG-13 for language, brief nudity and wrestling violence.

Running time: 105 minutes.

Playing at: Rancho Santa Fe 16, Century Orleans, Century Cinedome 12 Henderson, UA Rainbow Promenade 10, UA Showcase 8, UA Green Valley Cinemas, Regal Cinemas Boulder Station, Regal Cinemas Colonnade 14, Regal Cinemas Texas Station 18, Regal Cinemas Village Square 18.

Synopsis: Wrestling champion Jimmy King (Oliver Platt) is everything die-hard wrestling fans Gordie and Sean (David Arquette and Scott Caan) would love to be. With dead-end jobs, no girlfriends and a dysfunctional family, they leave it all behind to see their idol live and in person at the regular "WCW Monday Night" broadcast. But after a humiliating defeat that bans him from wrestling, the two fanatics make it their mission to restore the King's belt, no matter how many rules -- or bones -- get broken in the process.

Dave: Say what you will about the national phenomenon that is professional wrestling, but there is no denying the sport (and I use that term lightly) has been embedded into pop culture. And with that said, I'm surprised it has taken this long for Hollywood to crank out a movie that solely revolves around the world of wrestling, as in the appropriately titled film "Ready to Rumble." Arquette and Caan play Gordie and Sean, two of wrestling's ultimate fans whose legendary icon is the one and only wrestling champion King (Platt). However, when the two fanatics venture to Atlanta to watch "WCW Monday Night Nitro" live, they witness a travesty when their King is dethroned as he is ambushed by every wrestler.

Jeff: Platt plays an over-the-hill wrestler who has shot his mouth off one too many times, so his fall from the No. 1-ranked position is planned from the inside, but losing his final match has sent the boys into a frantic panic. After his embarrassing defeat they hunt down King and convince him to seek a rematch. That is the insufferable and simple premise of "Ready to Rumble," a story that only a fan of the WCW could love.

Arquette and Caan deserve each other in this soon-to-be-on-video feature. Arquette provides the only humor in the film, either by digging his hand around in the back of his pants, being hit in the face with raw sewage or having drool spill out of his mouth during one of his delirious and chaotic monologues. Caan has one expression that is somewhat along the lines of a blank sheet of paper.

Dave: Furthermore, what in the world was Platt thinking when taking on the persona of a wrestler? He continues to play these meaningless supportive roles in duds like "Gun Shy" and "Lake Placid" that have no real comedic weight, while his other films like "The Impostors" and "Bullworth" have proven that he possesses natural talent. Director Brian Robbins ("Varsity Blues") relies heavily on crude humor, which quickly becomes redundant. And with a cast of characters that are ruled by WCW wrestling personalities such as Diamond Dallas Page, Bill Goldberg, Steve Sting Borden and a slew of other familiar faces, Robbins leaves little room for improvement.

The film seems to be missing chunks of storyline that appear to have been cut at the last minute. Even the wrestling matches are poorly re-created, as the actual ring events resemble an amateur's version staged in a warehouse. What could have been simple fun like any regular pay-per-view event by the WCW is a silly, plot-holed, white-trash saga that perpetuates every stereotype associated with the multimillion dollar industry. However, the traveling nuns in a van singing an acoustic rendition of Van Halen's "Running with the Devil" make for the lone, yet memorable, laugh in the flick.

Jeff: This film is such an easy target for critics. It's loaded with toilet humor, racial stereotypes, women dressed in tight clothing and scores of body slams. It's obvious that "Ready to Rumble" is targeted toward teenagers and fans of the WCW, founded by Ted Turner (not to be confused with WWF, a rival organization) and the TNT network, who has enjoyed a ratings bonanza with his "Monday Night Nitro" show. So I guess it doesn't really matter what I think of the film if you're a WCW fan reading this review, because you're most likely going to be the first in line to see your favorite wrestlers Sting, Goldberg and Diamond Dallas Page on opening day.

This is a review for the nonwrestling fan (such as myself) who has to sit through one of the most mind-numbing experiences that I have had this year. I must admit that I did get caught up in the excitement during the big finale where our heroes fought death and destruction in the triple iron-cage match. But it was too little, too late. In the theater, I couldn't change the channel.