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Wrestler, The (2008) Rank 3 Reviews

Expert Review Summary
Movie critics combined give Wrestler, The (2008) a score of 3.3941 out of 4
based on (141) reviews
Click on the numbers to the right of the graph to see reviews of that rating
Excellent
4
Excellent
(76)
Very Good
3
Very Good
(62)
Good
2
Good
(2)
Fair
1
Fair
(0)
Poor
0
Poor
(1)
Reviews by Score:
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.30 out of 4 stars for Projection Booth (Rob Humanick)Projection Booth (Rob Humanick)
Rourke is sensational, but for me it's Aronofsky's handheld takes that steal the show... achingly, effortlessly evoking the time that hangs on every choice and missed opportunity. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Projection Booth (Rob Humanick)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.30 out of 4 stars for Seattle Post-Intelligencer (William Arnold)Seattle Post-Intelligencer (William Arnold)
It's bleak, credulity straining and often stomach-turning, but it definitely works as a heart-tugging character study, and Rourke's performance as the has-been title character is golden. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Seattle Post-Intelligencer (William Arnold)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.30 out of 4 stars for Compuserve (Harvey S. Karten)Compuserve (Harvey S. Karten)
Overly sentimental but a must-see for Mickey Rourke's astonishing performance as a pro wrestler seeking a comeback. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Compuserve (Harvey S. Karten)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.30 out of 4 stars for Philadelphia Daily News (Gary Thompson)Philadelphia Daily News (Gary Thompson)
A tough, bloody, enthralling movie that makes Rourke a sure bet for an Oscar nod, and even money to win the whole thing. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Philadelphia Daily News (Gary Thompson)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.30 out of 4 stars for Reeling Reviews (Laura Clifford)Reeling Reviews (Laura Clifford)
..a sad and eloquent tale of what once was crumbling to dust, a final roar against the oncoming inevitability. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Reeling Reviews (Laura Clifford)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Metromix.com (Geoff Berkshire)Metromix.com (Geoff Berkshire)
The actors' flawless performances are nothing short of major achievements. Ram is the role Rourke was born to play. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Metromix.com (Geoff Berkshire)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for New York Daily News (Elizabeth Weitzman)New York Daily News (Elizabeth Weitzman)
Rourke and Tomei bring a tender, lived-in honesty to their sad roles. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at New York Daily News (Elizabeth Weitzman)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Onion AV Club (Noel Murray)Onion AV Club (Noel Murray)
The movie feeds off Rourke, who plays a genuinely decent guy who never lets his dawning self-awareness interfere with his responsibility to give the fans a show. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Onion AV Club (Noel Murray)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for rec.arts.movies.reviews (Mark R. Leeper)rec.arts.movies.reviews (Mark R. Leeper)
Darren Aronofsky tells a solid character-driven drama with simplicity and impact. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at rec.arts.movies.reviews (Mark R. Leeper)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for The New Yorker (Anthony Lane)The New Yorker (Anthony Lane)
What Rourke offers us, in short, is not just a comeback performance but something much rarer: a rounded, raddled portrait of a good man. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at The New Yorker (Anthony Lane)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Compuserve (Harvey S. Karten)Compuserve (Harvey S. Karten)
Overly sentimental but a must-see for Mickey Rourke's astonishing performance as a pro wrestler seeking a comeback. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Compuserve (Harvey S. Karten)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for ColeSmithey.com (Cole Smithey)ColeSmithey.com (Cole Smithey)
Aronofsky invokes a fierce blue-collar integrity that supports the idiosyncrasies of the story's pro wrestling milieu... "The Wrestler" is an independent gem. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at ColeSmithey.com (Cole Smithey)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for ReelTalk Movie Reviews (Donald J. Levit)ReelTalk Movie Reviews (Donald J. Levit)
'The Wrestler' meshes the spectacle entertainment of cinema and sports with the tale of a man who without apology does what he does best. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at ReelTalk Movie Reviews (Donald J. Levit)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for MTV (Kurt Loder)MTV (Kurt Loder)
The movie is a bracing demonstration of how much art can be made with very little money. Aronofsky and his editor, Andrew Weisblum, keep the story coming right at you, fast and raw. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at MTV (Kurt Loder)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Paste Magazine (Robert Davis)Paste Magazine (Robert Davis)
Aronofsky's unadorned portrait of a pro-wrestling has-been is built around a fantastic, physical performance by Mickey Rourke, captured with a style that renders his dingy world all the more strange, funny and heartbreaking. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Paste Magazine (Robert Davis)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for The New York Times (A.O. Scott)The New York Times (A.O. Scott)
The Wrestler shows that, in both movies and wrestling, the line between reality and play-acting may be less clear than we assume. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at The New York Times (A.O. Scott)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for MSNBC (Alonso Duralde)MSNBC (Alonso Duralde)
But Rourke's work in the film transcends mere stunt-casting; his performance is a howl of pain that seems to come from a very real place. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at MSNBC (Alonso Duralde)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for SpoutBlog (Karina Longworth)SpoutBlog (Karina Longworth)
Rourke delivers a performance that seems to start and end in the cardiovascular system, making everything Rourke actually does seem effortless. As if he's just breathing it. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at SpoutBlog (Karina Longworth)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for Time Out (Darren Aronofsky)Time Out (Darren Aronofsky)
Here, finally, is a film that, through its very intimacy, touches on love, money, dreams and death in a way that will pile-drive you through the mat. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Time Out (Darren Aronofsky)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for PopMatters (Chris Barsanti)PopMatters (Chris Barsanti)
...a scrupulously-controlled exercise in humiliation and expurgation, where both Aronofsky and Rourke look to cleanse themselves of past excesses with their tale of transcendent pain. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at PopMatters (Chris Barsanti)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.25 out of 4 stars for www.susangranger.com (Susan Granger)www.susangranger.com (Susan Granger)
Mickey Rourke makes an amazing comeback, delivering an iconic, Oscar-caliber performance. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at www.susangranger.com (Susan Granger)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Sky Movies (Rob Daniel)Sky Movies (Rob Daniel)
Randy’s climactic recreation of a former glory befits a film about someone unable to prevent himself spinning out of control, and is a smackdown conclusion to a mature, powerful tearjerker. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Sky Movies (Rob Daniel)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Sun Online ()Sun Online ()
But Rourke is so brilliant even Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would be cheering “Ram Jam” by the end. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Sun Online ()
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Guardian [UK] (Peter Bradshaw)Guardian [UK] (Peter Bradshaw)
The Wrestler runs on what are admittedly pretty traditional lines for a sports film, yet runs on them with exhilarating speed and attack. I was waiting for a cop-out ending, but it never arrived. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Guardian [UK] (Peter Bradshaw)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Orlando Weekly (Rob Boylan)Orlando Weekly (Rob Boylan)
Pro wrestling is not an easy subject to take seriously, but director Darren Aronofsky displays it well as a spellbinding muscle ballet, sweaty and bloody, but graceful and addictive all the same. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Orlando Weekly (Rob Boylan)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for The Age (Australia) (Jim Schembri)The Age (Australia) (Jim Schembri)
A beautifully etched, touching essay about a damaged, desperate brute hoping for one taste of dignity and real fatherhood before his life goes down for the count for the final time. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at The Age (Australia) (Jim Schembri)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Spirituality and Practice (Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)Spirituality and Practice (Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)
A compelling and poignant anatomy of an over-the-hill wrestler's encounter with the excruciating pain and isolation of loneliness. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Spirituality and Practice (Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for This is London (Derek Malcolm)This is London (Derek Malcolm)
The Wrestler is, in essence, an excellent B-movie centred upon a defiantly top-rate performance from Rourke. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at This is London (Derek Malcolm)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Orlando Sentinel (Roger Moore)Orlando Sentinel (Roger Moore)
The chance to play that poignant confusion is the real prize that Rourke and Tomei earn in The Wrestler. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Orlando Sentinel (Roger Moore)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Panorama (Jean-François Vandeuren)Panorama (Jean-François Vandeuren)
La réussite de The Wrestler repose évidemment sur la performance phénoménale d'un Mickey Rourke que nous n'aurions jamais cru capable d'une telle intensité dramatique ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Panorama (Jean-François Vandeuren)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for New York Times (A.O. Scott)New York Times (A.O. Scott)
The Wrestler shows that, in both movies and wrestling, the line between reality and play-acting may be less clear than we assume. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at New York Times (A.O. Scott)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for Jam! Movies (Liz Braun)Jam! Movies (Liz Braun)
The story is raw and often tough to watch, but Rourke is so good that you can't look away. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Jam! Movies (Liz Braun)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for The Scorecard Review (Jeff Bayer)The Scorecard Review (Jeff Bayer)
The bleached blond hair, the self-tanning and the hearing aid all create one of the most memorable characters of the year. Plus, there is a surprising amount of subtle humor. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at The Scorecard Review (Jeff Bayer)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for BrandonFibbs.com (Brandon Fibbs)BrandonFibbs.com (Brandon Fibbs)
Scott Fitzgerald once wrote that, "There are no second acts in American lives." The Ram would have to agree. But Rourke may be living the second act his character never could. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at BrandonFibbs.com (Brandon Fibbs)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for About.com (Marcy Dermansky)About.com (Marcy Dermansky)
Mickey Rourke is heart-breakingly good. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at About.com (Marcy Dermansky)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.20 out of 4 stars for WJFK-FM (CBS Radio) (Kevin McCarthy)WJFK-FM (CBS Radio) (Kevin McCarthy)
The Wrestler is Aronofsky taking a step back and giving you a full on actor driven flick that will make you cringe and weep and contains the year's best acting performance. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at WJFK-FM (CBS Radio) (Kevin McCarthy)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for USA TODAYUSA TODAY
It's no Raging Bull, more like Rocky shot with a handheld camera. But Rourke's wounded tough guy is undeniably captivating. He smacks you in the gut and wrenches your heart. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at USA TODAY
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Village Voice (J. Hoberman)Village Voice (J. Hoberman)
Present in every scene, if not each shot, Rourke gives a tremendously physical performance that The Wrestler essentially exists to document. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Village Voice (J. Hoberman)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Globe and Mail (Liam Lacey)Globe and Mail (Liam Lacey)
The excesses are easy to forgive, both for the humour and charisma of Rourke's outsized performance and Aronofsky's canny low-key direction, which make for a combination that is irresistible. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Globe and Mail (Liam Lacey)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Old School Reviews (John A. Nesbit)Old School Reviews (John A. Nesbit)
an intimate insider view to the world of professional wrestling ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Old School Reviews (John A. Nesbit)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Windy City Times (Richard Knight)Windy City Times (Richard Knight)
A rich character study; Rourke is a wonder to behold. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Windy City Times (Richard Knight)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Reeling Reviews (Robin Clifford)Reeling Reviews (Robin Clifford)
Pro wrestling fans are the obvious target audience for "The Wrestler" but Rourke's fine performance, Aronofsky's craftwork directing and the well-written script by Robert D. Siegel should garner interest from others, too. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Reeling Reviews (Robin Clifford)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Wall Street Journal (Joe Morgenstern)Wall Street Journal (Joe Morgenstern)
Director, Darren Aronofsky, and the writer, Robert D. Siegel, have turned the story of this washed-up faux gladiator into a film of authentic beauty and commanding consequence. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Wall Street Journal (Joe Morgenstern)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Modern Fabulousity (Gabriel Shanks)Modern Fabulousity (Gabriel Shanks)
The slow-burning engine at the heart of the film is Rourke, whose tender, subtle turn is a revelation. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Modern Fabulousity (Gabriel Shanks)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Screen International (Fionnuala Halligan)Screen International (Fionnuala Halligan)
A natural awards contender and audience-pleaser without feeling overtly manipulative on the way. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Screen International (Fionnuala Halligan)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Kansas City Star (Robert W. Butler)Kansas City Star (Robert W. Butler)
Rourke is utterly convincing on both the physical and emotional levels, and the result may be the most fully formed characterization seen in any movie that opened in 2008. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Kansas City Star (Robert W. Butler)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 3.00 out of 4 stars for Film Journal International (David Noh)Film Journal International (David Noh)
Mickey Rourke gives a spectacular performance, heart-rending and true, which should induce showers of awards on this comeback kid. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Film Journal International (David Noh)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 2.80 out of 4 stars for Las Vegas Weekly (Josh Bell)Las Vegas Weekly (Josh Bell)
Like Randy's matches, the movie hits a lot of familiar beats; like Randy himself, it gets the maximum impact out of each one. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Las Vegas Weekly (Josh Bell)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for Salon (Stephanie Zacharek)Salon (Stephanie Zacharek)
Aronofsky pulls all the usual strings in The Wrestler. But in the end the movie works, maybe because the best things about it are things that Aronfsky isn’t even conscious of. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Salon (Stephanie Zacharek)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for Antagony & Ecstasy (Tim Brayton)Antagony & Ecstasy (Tim Brayton)
Pleasantly trite script, predominately uninspired directing, barnburning central performance that turns the movie into one of the most transcendent character dramas of the year. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Antagony & Ecstasy (Tim Brayton)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for Movie Eye (Frank Ochieng)Movie Eye (Frank Ochieng)
Aronofsky has devised one of the most gritty and intensely authentic sports flicks in recent memory. Rourke is absorbingly raw and reflective... ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Movie Eye (Frank Ochieng)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for Film Threat (Matthew Sorrento)Film Threat (Matthew Sorrento)
The Wrestler turns into a piece of wildly uneven inspiration ... It's as if a zero-degree work of realism -- like Lance Hammer's magnificent Ballast -- gets body-slammed by the classical three-act structure. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Film Threat (Matthew Sorrento)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for Hollywood Reporter (Stephen Farber)Hollywood Reporter (Stephen Farber)
Although the film teeters on the brink of sentimentality, it never topples into the slush, and this is a tribute to the rigorous direction as well as the astringent performances. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Hollywood Reporter (Stephen Farber)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for Boxoffice Magazine (Marco Cerritos)Boxoffice Magazine (Marco Cerritos)
A quiet, intimate portrait of a troubled soul--someone at odds with himself and with life in general whose every ounce of pain and virtue is measured onscreen. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Boxoffice Magazine (Marco Cerritos)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for Tolucan Times (Tony Medley)Tolucan Times (Tony Medley)
This is not an easy movie to watch, but what a performance by Mickey Rourke! ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Tolucan Times (Tony Medley)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 2.75 out of 4 stars for Slant Magazine (Nick Schager)Slant Magazine (Nick Schager)
Annihilation and resurrection are the twin axes upon which The Wrestler turns. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Slant Magazine (Nick Schager)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 2.67 out of 4 stars for Time Out (Tom Huddlestone)Time Out (Tom Huddlestone)
Aronofsky directs with unfussy candour, alternating between the intensity of the wrestling and the drabness of Randy’s ‘real’ life. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Time Out (Tom Huddlestone)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for New York Magazine (David Edelstein)New York Magazine (David Edelstein)
This is a case where an actor makes the difference. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at New York Magazine (David Edelstein)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Baltimore Sun (Michael Sragow)Baltimore Sun (Michael Sragow)
Rourke is the one who saves The Wrestler again and again. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Baltimore Sun (Michael Sragow)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for MovieCrypt.com (Kevin A. Ranson)MovieCrypt.com (Kevin A. Ranson)
Although suffering from a formulaic story, Mickey Rourke will make you believe that Randy 'The Ram' Robinson really existed. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at MovieCrypt.com (Kevin A. Ranson)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Christian Science Monitor (Peter Rainer)Christian Science Monitor (Peter Rainer)
I would much rather have seen a movie about the devastations of the real Mickey Rourke. By comparison, the Ram seems like a stand-in -- a screenwriter's pseudo-hard-boiled concoction. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Christian Science Monitor (Peter Rainer)
Wrestler, The (2008) scores a combined 2.50 out of 4 stars for Bangitout.com (Jordan Hiller)Bangitout.com (Jordan Hiller)
Rourke is convincing and honest, marvelous and touching, but he's not required to channel emotions that linger far and away from the man he has become. ...read the complete Wrestler movie review at Bangitout.com (Jordan Hiller)
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Users combined give Wrestler, The (2008) a score of 3.000000 out of 4
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2.00
The Ram...Really?
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by tiffany on April 28, 2009 Ogden, Utah
Well this movie just didn't live up to its hype for me. It was an ok one time watch. But thats about it. I kept waiting for it to have some surprising turnaround. But it never came. More than anything its depressing from beginning to end, with a ...
4.00
Great Return!
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by Tetramobile on July 17, 2009 New York, New York
I love me some Micky Roureke and he's such a great actor. If you liked him in this, check out Spun. he's just as good in it. This movie tells the story of a bottomed out wrestler in such a way that people who don't even like wrestling will ...
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Movie Reviews: Action
Wrestler, The (2008) Reviews
Wrestler, The (2008)

RANKINGS:

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Ratings and rankings are based on number of movie, review scores, awards & other criteria.
Overall Rating:
3.3780
Wrestler, The (2008) is ranked overall as out of 4 stars
Avg Critic Score:
3.3941
Wrestler, The (2008) is ranked overall as out of 4 stars
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