The Plot: Mickey Rourke (in a Golden Globe-winning, Oscar-nominated role) stars as retired professional wrestler Randy “The Ram” Robinson, who returns to the ring for a final shot at defeating his longtime rival “The ayatollah”. Along 
the way, he tries to reconnect with his daughter, Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood), while exploring a relationship with a stripper named Cassidy (Marisa Tomei, also nominated for a Golden Globe and Oscar).
The music was directly related to the feel of the movie. Although it is present day, they played a good amount of hair bands from the 80’s. This is mainly due to the fact that the 80’s were The Ram’s glory days and they don’t want you to forget that; “bang your head” by Quiet Riot is his 
theme song. There are also plenty scenes in the strip club were Marisa Tomei’s character works, so expect some modern hip-hop in those parts. An eerie acoustic guitar theme plays throughout the movie during transition scenes. It definitely sets a sullen mood for the viewer.
The cinematography The camera follows Randy around for most of the time so expect many shots of his back during any scene when he’s walking alone. When he stops it then swings around to show his profile. I personally loved how this was done. It 
almost made it seem as we were following him into the ring no matter where he went.
The acting was what really held this movie together. The chemistry between Mickey and Evan was so real (Just a side note, if Evan Rachel doesn’t start getting some recognition as a great actress, then I’m just gonna snap!) she plays the role as the hurt but wanting to forgive abandoned daughter perfectly. As far as Mickey and Marisa go….they really did an amazing job. The roles that the actors play in this film are not 2 
dimensional at all. They have various sides to them as most real people do. This is not easy to translate onto the big screen by far.
The effects were real and raw. It showed you the inglorious life of a wrestler after matches. Most people call wrestling fake, I think this is the wrong term to use. These guys are professional athletic stuntmen in my opinion. They take an enormous amount of abuse. The effects used in this film are very life like and show it like it is. There is a great scene where they 
are patching “The Ram” up after a hardcore match with tacks, staples, barb wire and all types of other weapons….and as they show his gruesome injuries, they show flash backs to how they happened during the match. That scene was pretty emotional and might make you appreciate what these guys do a little more.
Overall this movie wasn’t just about wrestling. That was only used as the backdrop for the main story. It was about a man who is struggling to deal with his past mistakes in the present. It was a really well played character study that 
should keep you interested and eager to watch. There were a couple wrestling scenes, but don’t expect amazing action, as the focus is not really on that. I thought this movie was defiantly a great film but its not gonna be for everyone.
4 Out of 5 Crom’s
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