Mickey Rourke has just put a half nelson on our hearts. The veteran actor’s portrayal of Randy "The Ram" Robinson is one of the most endearing, soul searching performances that Rusty Bob has seen in ten years.
Fourteen years is how long Mickey Rourke says he's been out of work. Wrestling fans, especially those who grew up during the glory days of the WWF in the 1980s, will find Rourke's acting even more poignant since it closely mirrors the lives of many performers.
Mick Foley (aka Mankind) loved this movie and says so in
this slash film article. I think he was impressed with how the amateur wrestling lifestyle was depicted.
Over the years, several wrestlers have died from heart failure. Athletes like Ravishing Rick Rude who died of a heart attack caused by steroid use, and Brian Pillman who also died of heart problems, as did Davey Boy Smith, half of the famed tag-team The British Bulldogs.
Randy “The Ram” Robinson was at the top of his game in the eighties, but twenty five years later he finds himself starting over again every night. Typical sports movie,
The Wrestler starts with a has been hero looking for a life, and ends with a rematch against The Ayatollah (think Iron Sheik).
ram
