PREMISE
The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s.
THE GOOD STUFF
Zachary Efronā Efron has worked so hard. I can only imagine how annoying it was always to be known as the dude from high School musical whenever you tried to play adult characters that do adult things. Usually, when it comes to these kinds of situations it takes a certain type of role that requires a certain amount of dramatic gravitas that can forcefully shake the stench of teen idle-ness off of you. For Zac Efron, this is that film. I went into this thinking it was going to be an ensemble, but it is surprisingly not. This is Efronās film from beginning to end, and he flat-out carries most of the scenes that heās in.
Though he gained a S I G N I F I C A N T amount of muscle for this film, this role isnāt very flashy. This is a film with a lot of heavy stuff to go over, and it would be a significant film experience if Efron wasnāt handling his portion of the heaviness of this story with the grace that he does. To the ignorant, he will always be known as high School musical guy, but he should no longer be. He can go, and he puts the work in. The filmās final scene is the best thing he has ever done on screen to this point in time.
The von Erich familyā Quite literally everybody who plays a member of the Von Erich family in this film (Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Holt McCallany, Maura Tierney, and Stanley Simmons) all have a moment or two to really shine on screen and thatās very appreciated. McCallany especially comes through as quite possibly the villain of the piece, Fritz von Erich. Iām not saying he should be nominated for awards or anything like that, but if he wereā¦ I wouldnāt be mad at that.
THE WRESTLING- I am a serious fan of wrestling. Have been since I was a boy. I listen to wrestling podcasts and watch all the PLE events. I mention that because I canāt help but notice the lack of fluidity with actors inside of the ring when it comes to the actual matches portrayed in other wrestling films that are otherwise pretty enjoyable. That is not the case here. Efron, Dickinson, and White look like naturals in the ring. Thereās a mini montage of Zac Efron running the ropes and hitting the canvas (AKA taking ābumpsā), and he looks like he could have an honest go in the wrestling biz if he really wanted to.
THE BAD STUFF
TOO MUCH MATERIAL- As a serious wrestling fan, I couldnāt help but be hyped for this movie for months on out after the trailer premiered. And yetā¦ there I was about 25 minutes into this movie (with no Kerry Von Erich in sight), realizing that this is not a movie about the curse of the Von Erich family, this is a film that is mostly about who they were and what they went through before the curse started to take heed. And in that moment, I realized thereās just WAAAY too much ground to cover.
When the curse of the Von Erichs finally starts to kick in, tragic things begin happening rapidlyā¦that it doesnāt feel impactful. In fact, it becomes predictable, unfortunately. And if you know at least a part of the story of the Von Erichs, then you know things are rushed in a considerable way in the third act of the film.
THE UGLY STUFF
THE RIC FLAIR PORTRAYAL- I do not mean to come off as disrespectful to Aaron Dean Eisenberg, the man who portrays Ric Flair in this film. I have not seen him in anything before this; I am not saying that he seems as if he cannot act or anything of that nature. I mean, what Iām about to say with all due respectā¦
Ric Flair is iconic enough at this point to have certain mannerisms that are instantaneously identifiable, even if you are not a wrestling fan. All of the idiosyncrasies of Ric Flair are butchered here. I donāt want to say Mr Eisenberg didnāt do his research on the man. Still, I have seen other wrestlers, sports commentators, professional athletes, and up to a certain extent, Will Ferrell in a television show called eastbound and down do better impressions of Ric Flair then this man.
This is by far the worst impression of Ric Flair that there has ever been, and people who are halfway trying to get it 1 trillion percent more on the nose than Mr. Eisenberg does. The appearance of Ric Flair comes at a very vital moment for a couple of characters in this film. If you are a wrestling fan, boy, does the terribleness of this impression completely evaporate your suspension of disbelief until heās off the screen. Somehow, this movie got the depiction of Harley Race on the nose, but it butchers Ric Flair like this? What in tarnation was this s***?!
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THE IRON CLAW is a movie for people who do not know this story. It is a movie that uses its cinematic license to tell this story a certain way. This needed to be a miniseries, at least, but they tried their best here. If you do not know this story, by all means, give this a go. But if you do. This might not be for you. Ā
THE IRON CLAW is in theaters now