The Iron Claw

[AtlantaWhaler]

I think all the chatter made it seem like the worst moment in movie history so that clip doesn't seem that bad, lol

It’s terrible

 

[Unholy Diver]

I saw it yesterday, I thought it was pretty good, the Flair actor wasn't good, but I think I had more of an issue with how fat the guy portraying Harley Race was

 

[Megahab]

Zac Efron and Kevin Von Erich only met each other a few weeks for the first time. I would have thought Kevin Von Erich would be involved in the production in some way.

 

[Unholy Diver]

Zac Efron and Kevin Von Erich only met each other a few weeks for the first time. I would have thought Kevin Von Erich would be involved in the production in some way.

You would think so considering it was pretty much from his perspective

I saw it yesterday, I thought it was pretty good, the Flair actor wasn't good, but I think I had more of an issue with how fat the guy portraying Harley Race was

Ok, just watching WCCW Star Wars 81 on the peacock and Harley was pretty hefty, so the guy was closer than I realized

 

[Bondurant]

You would think so considering it was pretty much from his perspective



Ok, just watching WCCW Star Wars 81 on the peacock and Harley was pretty hefty, so the guy was closer than I realized

Harley was always a burly guy. Tough old bastard like Da Crusher.

 

[Megahab]

You would think so considering it was pretty much from his perspective



Ok, just watching WCCW Star Wars 81 on the peacock and Harley was pretty hefty, so the guy was closer than I realized

Looking at pictures from Race's prime, he was more husky than just out of shape fat like the actor was.

But didn't the actors face look a lot like Harley Race? Been a week since I've seen the movie but I remember thinking they looked so similar in that scene of Race's promo.

 

[Unholy Diver]

Looking at pictures from Race's prime, he was more husky than just out of shape fat like the actor was.

But didn't the actors face look a lot like Harley Race? Been a week since I've seen the movie but I remember thinking they looked so similar in that scene of Race's promo.

Yeah the actor looked the part pretty well he had a bit more round of a gut than Race did back then, but he was closer than most of the other actors

 

[dahrougem2]

Liked the movie a lot. I feel like this could have made a brilliant TV series but unsure how many people would watch.

Flair casting was god awful lol.

I read they removed Chris' death from the movie due to not wanting yet another death/funeral but the guy wasn't even in the movie so that makes no sense to me. They made it seem like there was only 5 brothers but really there was 6.

Overall I enjoyed it.

 

[CDJ]

Liked the movie a lot. I feel like this could have made a brilliant TV series but unsure how many people would watch.

Flair casting was god awful lol.

I read they removed Chris' death from the movie due to not wanting yet another death/funeral but the guy wasn't even in the movie so that makes no sense to me. They made it seem like there was only 5 brothers but really there was 6.

Overall I enjoyed it.

Guy who wrote the film more or less said he combined Mike and Chris because he found them to be relatively similar, said it was the hardest decision he had to make in his career though. Felt like having another character go in a similar way to Mike would muddle things up and also drag the viewer down

 

[Megahab]

Guy who wrote the film more or less said he combined Mike and Chris because he found them to be relatively similar, said it was the hardest decision he had to make in his career though. Felt like having another character go in a similar way to Mike would muddle things up and also drag the viewer down

I just don't understand this as the reason Chris wasn't in it. The whole movie is one big depressing story...would Chris' death really have made it that much more depressing?

I feel it's a bit disrespectful to Chris leaving him out as I believe part of the reason he committed suicide is because he couldn't live up to the Von Erich name. And now they leave him out the Von Erich movie as if he never existed?

 

[Zhamnov5GoalGame]

I saw the movie a few days ago. I thought it was really well done. It did leave a lot to the imagination. People not familiar with the story & timelines would be very confused because things were super compressed and gave the impression that all of the tragedies happened within a few weeks with no glory period. You can nitpick things for sure but over all they did a good job with incredibly dark material. My podcast released a review of the movie recently. We cover 80's wrestling generally and had recently covered the 1982 Christmas Star Wars card. I wonder if this will lead to other wrestling movies? The public seems a bit tired of the Super Hero genre.
Iron Claw Movie Review | Legendary Wrestling Obsession

 

[TheShape]

This probably could've been better served as a 10 part miniseries. Good movie, but the choice for Ric Flair took me right out, actor totally missed the mark. I mean at least get the voice down.

Heard someone say on a podcast that Efron and Jeremy Allen White should've swapped roles, thought that was interesting.

Also, agree with those who have said it was odd to leave Chris out.

 

[coupe89]

Looks like he should be saying "Let the boy watch".

 

[Toothless Legend]

Even more offensive than the choice in actor for Flair was the fact that he called them LIZARD SHOES.

 

[Bondurant]

Ordered a 21 issue lot of Inside Wrestling. It was short one issue but among the issues included was the Mike von Erich memoriam coverage from August '87.

 

[dahrougem2]

This probably could've been better served as a 10 part miniseries. Good movie, but the choice for Ric Flair took me right out, actor totally missed the mark. I mean at least get the voice down.

Heard someone say on a podcast that Efron and Jeremy Allen White should've swapped roles, thought that was interesting.

Also, agree with those who have said it was odd to leave Chris out.

I thought the actors portraying the Von Erichs all did great. I don't think Allen White would have worked as Kevin, nor Efron as Kerry.

 

[Nemesis Prime]

What a great film.

The Flair guy was bad, not even close. They should have had Jay Lethal play the part of Flair.

 

[Chuck Testa]

What a great film.

The Flair guy was bad, not even close. They should have had Jay Lethal play the part of Flair.

Jay Lethal can be spot-on with his impressions of Ric Flair. They'd just have to do his makeup like Dave Chapelle did when he played a white reporter

 

[Megahab]

Watched this a second time with some non-wrestling fans I wanted to show it to and they loved it.

When Kerry is on the boat in the Afterlife, what is the significance of the coin?

What is the significance of the mother and painting?

 

[Unholy Diver]

Watched this a second time with some non-wrestling fans I wanted to show it to and they loved it.

When Kerry is on the boat in the Afterlife, what is the significance of the coin?

What is the significance of the mother and painting?

Didn't Fritz flip a coin to determine if Kerry or Kevin would take David's place vs Flair? maybe a callback to that?

 

[Megahab]

Didn't Fritz flip a coin to determine if Kerry or Kevin would take David's place vs Flair? maybe a callback to that?

Yeah he did. I figured it's a callback to that but is it any more than that?

 

[Deadpool8812]

Very good movie with quite a sad story. That Flair casting was absolutely awful though...I really dont get it

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

The Iron Claw opens with something I dread whenever watching a movie about a topic I am familiar with: "Inspired by true events". This is a tell tale sign liberties will be taken for dramatic purposes and this film is no exception.

It's always disappointing but appreciate the warning out of the gate and I know not to set my expectations too high and not to nitpick the film.

Despite its foibles and a few aspects I did not care for the filmmakers and cast did a great job. The triumph and tragedy of the Von Erich family is a lot to cram into a film running a bit over two hours. Using the framework of the narrative that was chosen, they succeeded.

Biopics are typically lacking in narrative but deliver in the performances of the actors. The Iron Claw keeps with this tradition but unlike other attempts, Maestro comes to mind, this is not boring.

Good, not great. I anticipate The Iron Claw will work better for people with little or no knowledge of the Von Erich's or wrestling.

Someone above mentioned the casting of Ric Flair. Harley Race, Bruiser Brody and Ric Flair are shown in small but important supporting characters. Race and Flair get the most and a full promo provided for each. Whomever was cast as Race did the best and was the most like the actual person. Brody has a few lines and they guy playing him looks somewhat similar but not correct body type. But the guy playing Flair made zero attempt to even act like Flair aside from the tan and bleached hair. Sticks out like a sore thumb.

Despite it's flaws The Iron Claw is a solid picture. I had no qualms spending my hard earned $5.99 matinee ticket price. I respect the effort to bring the Von Erich story to the big screen.

3.5/5

5.99

The Iron Claw opens with something I dread whenever watching a movie about a topic I am familiar with: "Inspired by true events". This is a tell tale sign liberties will be taken for dramatic purposes and this film is no exception.

It's always disappointing but appreciate the warning out of the gate and I know not to set my expectations too high and not to nitpick the film.

Despite its foibles and a few aspects I did not care for the filmmakers and cast did a great job. The triumph and tragedy of the Von Erich family is a lot to cram into a film running a bit over two hours. Using the framework of the narrative that was chosen, they succeeded.

Biopics are typically lacking in narrative but deliver in the performances of the actors. The Iron Claw keeps with this tradition but unlike other attempts, Maestro comes to mind, this is not boring.

Good, not great. I anticipate The Iron Claw will work better for people with little or no knowledge of the Von Erich's or wrestling.

Someone above mentioned the casting of Ric Flair. Harley Race, Bruiser Brody and Ric Flair are shown in small but important supporting characters. Race and Flair get the most and a full promo provided for each. Whomever was cast as Race did the best and was the most like the actual person. Brody has a few lines and they guy playing him looks somewhat similar but not correct body type. But the guy playing Flair made zero attempt to even act like Flair aside from the tan and bleached hair. Sticks out like a sore thumb.

Despite it's flaws The Iron Claw is a solid picture. I had no qualms spending my hard earned $5.99 matinee ticket price. I respect the effort to bring the Von Erich story to the big screen.

3.5/5

$5.99? You must live in the cheapest place on earth because I do not remember the last time I got a movie ticket for $5.99

 

[Bondurant]

5.99


$5.99? You must live in the cheapest place on earth because I do not remember the last time I got a movie ticket for $5.99

AMC matinee. Still a bargain.

 

[Unholy Diver]

AMC matinee. Still a bargain.

I have you beat at a Cinemark Matinee for $5.75