Studio: Lionsgate
Release Date: 3/26/2024
Rating: R
Film Grade: B+
The Story: Based on the true story of the Von Erich family wrestling dynasty, the film starts with patriarch Fritz, mesmerizing audiences with his signature move – the iron claw. Flash forward a couple of decades and he’s been able to build upon that notoriety and experience by forming the World Class Championship Wrestling organization and the associated arena known as The Sportatorium.
Now retired from the ring, Fritz shifts his focus to training and coaching his sons to someday win the NWA’s World Champion title belt that always eluded him. What the family isn’t prepared for is the legendary Von Erich family curse. . .
My Take: Professional wrestling was a real passion of mine as a grade school kid. As ferocious as football (with no off season), characters as bold and colorful as the heroes and villains of the comic books I loved, two TV shows every weekend, and dramatic storylines and rivalries that kept me tuned in to every one of them. It was the 70s, and it had a very different feel than today’s version. Steroids weren’t a common thing yet; costumes were rather plain. TV Production values were minimal and cheap. None of that mattered. It was the personalities and action that drove the sport, and my buddies and I loved watching every minute of it.
That’s the world this movie takes place in. While I don’t have any memory of the Von Erichs (they wrestled in the Dallas area, while I’m in the upper Midwest), the film does a fantastic job of capturing the regional market feel of the sport back then. This is just prior to the rise and eventual dominance of the WWF that altered the look and feel of the sport forever. The costumes, sets, music and vehicles all complement the story, giving the audience a real time capsule feel of the period.
That said, nostalgia can only take a film so far. Fortunately, this film delivers in so many other ways. First off, the cast is amazing. Zac Efron is almost unrecognizable as the oldest wrestler, Keith. Bulked up and chiseled with muscles galore, he is completely believable in the role. The other brothers aren’t as muscular, which wasn’t uncommon for the stars in those days. Each of them play completely different characters, not just carbon copy bros. Holt McCallany plays the part of Fritz as a man focused and driven to push his boys to be the finest wrestlers they can be, exuding power, influence, and strength of personality over his sons. The one weak performance is Aaron Dean Eisenberg as Ric Flair, who doesn’t manage to come close to capturing the original’s personality or charisma. It’s a small role, and doesn’t hurt the movie much.
Underlying all of this is the theme of brotherhood and family, and it’s really more about that than the sport. Sure, the plot revolves around professional wrestling, but always comes back to how the family deals with the tragic events that seem to follow them through the late 70s and through the 80s. It also examines what part determination and drive play in one’s ultimate destiny, especially if some of that is external rather than internal. What are you willing to sacrifice while pursuing your goals and what happens if you go too far?
There are really only a few nits I had to pick with the movie, and they are minor. At two hours and 12 minutes, it covers a lot of territory but does leave some parts out. Their lives are so packed with events that not everything could be included. The story completely leaves out the youngest brother as well as some of the marriages. Much of the touring life is left out or only mentioned in passing. That said, it would have been tough to pack any more detail into the movie. There’s enough material to fill a mini-series and the movie doesn’t include much in the way of filler, so the selective inclusion is understandable.
The other minor issue is that the movie telegraphs some of the events a little too clearly, reducing some of the shock value. There’s always a fine line with this. How much do you want to lay out for the audience versus how much to reserve for later discovery? This movie falls more on the former and it’s a minor detriment.
Video: Shot on film, grain features heavily in some scenes, especially the opening black and white footage. Never to the point of distraction, it works well representing the time period that the film is set in. Some of the special effects work comes up short, as evidenced in a scene with a character simply opening a refrigerator. Yes, that sounds dull, but there’s an emotional underpinning to the story at that point, that suffers because of it.
Colors are vibrant but natural, really bringing back that nostalgic feel. Indoor life at the family ranch feels warm and comfortable, outside scenes come across as open and natural, and you can almost smell the cigarette fumes in the haze permeating the arena.
Audio: It’s a simple 5.1 mix that does an adequate job of portraying the time. The music sounds great. The cheering crowds give you both a sense of being there as well as a feel for the energy that gets transmitted to the wrestlers as they strut into the arena and battle in the ring. There isn’t anything that stands out here, but there are a few scenes where dialog is overpowered by the environmental noise.
Special Features: The making of featurette is worth watching if you enjoyed the movie and will give you an appreciation for what went into it. The Q&A a little less so.
- Making Of The Iron Claw
- Cast and Crew Q&A
- Theatrical Trailer
Final Verdict: I’m not a fan of sports movies in general, but this one really caught me off guard. Director Sean Durkin has created a film that’s surprisingly effective on an emotional and character-driven level without feeling manipulative. There are truly tragic events, but they’re interspersed with moments of triumph and joy.
It’s tempting to compare it to The Wrestler, another fascinating look at the profession, but that would be unfair to both. The Wrestler focuses on what happens after life in the ring is over, but The Iron Claw leads you through the brothers’ careers. Both movies are character focused, but this new movie has many more characters to examine and covers a larger period of time.
It's been decades since I’ve paid any attention to modern day wrestling. Partly due to aging out of it and partly due to what it’s become, there’s no attraction to it for me anymore. I do miss the more innocent time that this movie covers, and that cultural change adds another layer of melancholy to all of the actual events portrayed in the movie. Maybe that affected me a little more than others, but it’s still a deeply touching look at these men’s lives. My wife has never had any interest in wrestling, but she also thought it was fascinating and well told.
This one is highly recommended, even for those not captivated by sports movies. The human element and how families respond to tragedy drive the movie, which anyone can relate to. I will be adding this one to our library.
For anyone interested in a more in-depth look at the family, I can recommend this article, but don’t read it until after watching the movie: Six Brothers – Texas Monthly
Fun Quote: “Oh, I don’t think the Ref saw that.”
My Review System:
JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
Elite Screens Sable Frame B2 117” Width with Infinitely Variable Height
Monolith by Monoprice HTP-1 16 Channel Processor with Dirac Live
Monolith by Monoprice 7x200 Watts Amp
Monolith by Monoprice 3x200 Watts + 6x100 Watts Amp
JBL Studio 590 for Left, Center, Right, Wides, and Rears
JBL Studio 580 for Side Surrounds
JBL Studio SCS 8 for Tops
JTR Captivator 1400 Subwoofer X 4
Panasonic DP-UB420 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
NVIDIA Shield Android TV - 4K
Xbox One X
HTPC Running madVR (work in progress)
Remote: URC MX-780
Mini DSP 2X4 HD controlling all subwoofers
APC S15 Power Conditioner with Battery Backup
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