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    • BLU-RAY REVIEW

    Wrestler, The

    Featured In Issue 140, May/June 2009

    Picture3
    Sound3.5
    WSR Score5
    Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
    (Studio/Distributor):
    20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
    (Catalog Number):
    2257505
    (MPAA Rating):
    R
    (Rating Reason):
    Violence, sexuality/nudity, language and some drug use
    (Retail Price):
    $39.99
    (Disc Type):
    Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
    (Widescreen Edition):
    Yes
    (Full Screen Edition):
    No
    (Running Time In Minutes):
    119
    (Color Type):
    Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access):
    Yes
    (Closed Captioned):
    Yes
    (Regional Coding):
    A
    (Theatrical Year):
    2008
    (Theatrical Release):
    Yes
    (Direct-To-Video Release):
    No
    (Disc Release Date):
    04/21/09
    (THX® Digitally Mastered):
    No
    (Director):
    Darren Aronofsky
    (Screenplay/Written By):
    (Story):
    (Music):
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer):
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor):
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers):
    (Co-Producers):
    (Producers):
    (Academy Awards):
    (Principal Photography):
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
    (Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
    (Disc Soundtrack):
    Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS HD Lossless 5.1
    (Theatrical Sound):
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (DTS Bit Rate):
    (Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
    (Additional Languages):
    (French Language):
    (Spanish Language):
    (Chinese Language):
    (Subtitles):
    (Cantonese Language):
    (Mandarin Language):
    (Japanese Language):
    (Italian Language):
    (German Language):
    (Portuguese Language):

    Mickey Rourke was nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of The Pro Wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a former superstar now paying the price for 20 years of grueling punishment in and out of the ring. Randy is desperate to hold onto the fame and glory that once surrounded him. Despite himself and the odds stacked against him, he begins to evaluate his state of life, attempting to reconnect with his estranged daughter (Wood) and striking up a relationship with an exotic dancer (Tomei) with troubles of her own. In the end he risks everything to prove he has one more match left in him: a re-staging of his famous Madison Square Garden bout against "The Ayatollah. (Gary Reber)

    Special features include the following featurettes: Within The Ring, a no-holds-barred one-on-one with wrestlers and filmmakers (SD 42:43) and Wrestler Round Table with Wrestling Hall-Of-Fame (SD 25:23); and "The Wrestler" music video written and performed by Bruce Springsteen (SD 03:59). There is also a digital copy of the film.

    The 1080p AVC 2.40:1 picture was shot on Super 16 format and exhibits a rough, raw, gritty image quality that perfectly fits the subject matter and creative approach. Color fidelity is lacking accuracy, and the picture appears grainy and noisy. Blacks are crushed throughout and shadow delineation is poor. Resolution is also poor, and at times, the image is out of focus and very soft. This is definitely not a reference-quality picture or even close. But the storytelling and acting are compelling, and the picture's portrayal of gripping reality does justice to the subject matter. (Gary Reber)

    The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is overall distorted but engaging nonetheless. Dialogue is conventional production sound and ADR with a forward presence that often lacks spatial integration. The music score is loud and is the primary surround element throughout, except for audience roars. The dance club scenes and the wrestling matches ignite the soundfield and deliver a holosonic® enveloping presence. Bass can be deep at times, with aggressive .1 LFE energy. While an uneven experience, when there's action the soundtrack doesn't disappoint. (Gary Reber)

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    Bryce Hudgins
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