Queen of the Ring

I watched Queen of the Ring expecting a wrestling movie similar to The Iron Claw. As a wrestling fan, I was excited to see familiar wrestlers' faces I currently watch, but the movie felt rushed. The subpar supporting actors and the hurried storyline made it hard to form an emotional connection with the characters. I'm not familiar with the main character's background, but I wish the film had explored her origins and upbringing in more details. What I enjoyed most was the soundtrack, which set the mood and carried me through the movie, despite its challenges. The main villain, June, was a standout-her minimal dialogue and badass presence were perfection. Overall, the story felt underdeveloped, and with more time, a detailed narrative could have elevated the film significantly.

Fantastic movie! Incredibly moving and great to watch with the whole family! Highly recommend!

Outstanding performances from the cast and an amazing script!

Great for fans of wrestling and and history alike!

Incredibly well produced as well. Is truly an inspiring performance and message.

Incredible casting with Emily Bett Rickards as the leading role of Mildred Burke. Josh Lucas shines in this as well.

As a wrestling fan, I would highly recommend learning about the queen of the ring herself. Amazing cinematic adaptation of the novel as well.

Praise for cast and crew through the whole film!

Queen of the Ring does deal with a fascinating real-life personality and story, and though all of it is well-performed and shot, the film has a "there's a lot going on" feel to it.. which is true, no doubt. Even at 2h 19m, the film can't put all of its weight behind its storytelling. There were several issues faced by women in (professional?) wrestling, and most of those is put across through one easy-to-hate, misogynistic bully named Billy Wolfe (Josh Lucas does a very decent job). The film, however, will be remembered for Emily Bett Rickards -- what a showstopper she is, bringing so much grit and heart to the titular character!

Mildred Burke's story is brushed over in broad strokes, covering her greatest hits and misses. The more you read about Burke, the less those frequent dissolve transitions start to make sense. This can't be told in a couple of hours, but at least the director's heart is in the right place. It was good to see some actual wrestling personalities in the film -- "Timeless" Toni Storm, Jim Cornette, Naomi, and Kamille play important characters, while legendary names like Gladys Gillem, Mae Young, Jack Pfefer, and Gorgeous George are played by more seasoned actors.

You'll also hear a lot of wrestling terminology and a few celebrated quotes. The film, with its limited budget, succeeds in taking us back to a bygone era with its lighting and aesthetics. The wrestling attire and the actual moves? I'm not so sure. They look a lot more contemporary than they're meant to be. But it's CINEMA after all. And a film about wrestling? I'll always be all eyes and ears!

Ask any reviewer how many sports biopics they have seen and the answer will always be "too many." QUEEN is an ambitious little project, you can tell that by the over-two-hour runtime. The pacing, the script, the editing, everything is just slightly uneven and unpolished. However, to compensate, there is a legitimate sense of fun imbued in the film, something not common in these sorts of tales. Lots of hidden talent both in front of and behind the camera. Emily Bett Rickards will shock her fans from the Arrowverse as she digs into the lead role and gives it everything she has got. Behind the camera is the son of one of America's best-known directors, and playing the "heel" in the story is a young woman with sharply defined features not seen since the days of Clint Eastwood. His daughter, in fact. Entertaining. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

Too many modern movies today dig right into the dark and gritty side of things for shock value. I feel this is a weak technique in the same way some modern wrestling companies go right for the shock value rather than story. Don't be fooled, Millie's story could have done that easily, but Ash and Alston dug into the heart of the inspiring side of Mildred's story and made it complete movie that can be enjoyed by an entire family without having to cover eyes or ears. Determination, hard work, and following your dream is what this story is about. It's about seeing your goals and realizing it without loosing yourself and your values in the process.

With a period pieced setting which looks and feels authentic without being obvious I think the cinematography was done very well. Also with the writing and Ash's directorial style there is thus feeling like this could have been a long lost movie from the 80s that could stand side by side with his legendary father John Avildsen's movies, which I grew up on. I could see myself playing in the arcade then heading into watch a back to back matinee at my local mall theater.

This movie was a breath of fresh air that made you think, invest, and ultimately feel good after watching it. First movie in a while I've wanted to watch multiple times because it does what movies are supposed to do. Take me out of my life's challenges for a second and inspire me to want to get right back into them swinging afterwards.