Vince McMahon Movies
Vince McMahon (born Vincent Kennedy McMahon) qualifies as the most famous wrestling promoter of the late-20th century, and -- in certain circles -- something of an American pop-culture icon. The son of World Wrestling Federation founder Vincent J. McMahon, Vince bucked his father's wishes that he avoid the wrestling business, and broke into a career as an announcer for the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) from 1971-1982, not long after receiving his B.S. in business administration from East Carolina State University. In 1982, McMahon signed on as the chairman the World Wrestling Federation. He also became the chairman of Titan Sports.From his throne at WWF, McMahon made a conscious attempt to alter the public image of professional wrestling, graduating it from a tongue-in-cheek farce to a venerable (and outrageously lucrative) form of ringside and at-home entertainment. He did much to promote the concept of over-the-top "characters" in the ring and staged the multi-billion-dollar franchise of WrestleMania events, launched on an annual basis from 1985 onward and later parlayed into an unholy amount of pay-per-view business. Beginning in the early '90s, however, McMahon also courted a great deal of controversy and drew legal charges, both for the alleged use and distribution of steroids and for the alleged anti-homosexual discrimination of Titan Sports.
As for film work, it goes without saying that McMahon (particularly in the early years) received the majority of his screen credits on filmed wrestling events. He branched out into features with the Hulk Hogan vehicle No Holds Barred (1989), but (perhaps discouraged by the lukewarm public and critical reception to that vehicle) waited another 13 years to move back into fictional narratives, forming a collaborative partnership with wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson on a series of action-filled Hollywood blockbusters, which McMahon executive produced and The Rock headlined. These included The Scorpion King (2002) and Walking Tall (2004). McMahon launched additional action vehicles (sans Johnson) with such icons as John Cena (The Marine, 2006) and wrestler Steve Austin (The Condemned, 2007). The majority grossed dollar one and suggested a new career path for the wrestling guru. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
WWE star John Cena headlines his sophomore action picture as a police officer whose wife is kidnapped in New Orleans. Daniel Kunka provides the script, with Deep Blue Sea's Renny Harlin handling the directing duties for the 20-million-dollar Fox Atomic/WWE Films production. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Cena, Steve Harris, (more)
- 2007
WWE: John Cena - My Life features the champion talking about his life and career while offering up footage from some of his most memorable matches. A number of topics are touched on including Cena's ongoing battles with other famous wrestlers like Triple H and Shawn Michaels. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
WWE superstar "Stone Cold" Steve Austin stars as a death row inmate who gets a rare second shot at life in director Scott Wiper's adrenaline-charged action thriller. Jack Conrad (Austin) is a dangerous convict currently awaiting execution in a corrupt Central American prison. "Purchased" by a wealthy television producer and transported to a deserted island, the formidable inmate is offered the opportunity to avoid capital punishment and win back his freedom by fighting to the death against nine other condemned criminals in an illegal game to be broadcast uncensored over the Internet. Rick Hoffman and Vinnie Jones co-star in a brutal battle royal of non-stop carnage. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Robert Mammone, (more)
WWE Smackdown star and self-proclaimed "Doctor of Thuganomics" John Cena makes his explosive action feature debut as John Triton, an injured U.S. Marine who returns home from duty after violating a commander's order, only to have his wife kidnapped by a ruthless criminal. Robert Patrick co-stars as the villainous Rome -- who is more than willing to kill if it means staying one step ahead of the law -- and Nip/Tuck star Kelly Carlson appears as the endangered object of the vengeful veteran's affections. With nothing left to lose and enough training to take down a small army, the hard-fighting Triton sets out to rescue his wife, and ensure that the psychotic Rome receives a painful taste of Semper Fi justice. Commercial veteran John Bonito takes the rein for his feature directorial debut. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Cena, Robert Patrick, (more)
A ragtag group of juvenile delinquents assigned the task of cleaning up an abandoned hotel find out just how deadly community service can be when they are stalked by a monstrous, four-hundred-pound maniac with a grudge in director Gregory Dark's wrestling-infused survival horror flick. It was a mere four years ago that seven-foot menace Jacob Goodnight (WWE superstar Kane) was shot in the head and left for dead by a local police officer. But Jacob wasn't going down that easy. With a steel plate subsequently attached to his skull and ten razor-sharp fingernails ready to scrape grey matter from the skulls of his victims, Jacob retreated to the abandoned Blackwell Hotel, where he resided in the darkened, rotting hallways while planning his ultimate revenge. As fate would have it, Jacob wouldn't have to go far to satiate his raging bloodlust, though, and as the unsuspecting teens make their way through the crumbling corridors of the once-luxurious inn guided by the very same policeman who fired that misguided bullet years earlier, the notorious killer sharpens his nails, stalks his prey, and prepares for a little payback. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kane, Glen Jacobs, (more)
- 2005
The strange career of one of the wrestling world's most controversial figures is explored in this WWE Home Video release focusing on eccentric brawler The Ultimate Warrior. When The Ultimate Warrior thundered into the arena with his signature arm bands in place and face paint indicating he was ready for battle, the roar of the crowd would turn almost deafening. In his victory against wrestling mega-star Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania VI, it seemed as if Ultimate Warrior mania was set to sweep the globe. Though memorable matches against Randy "Macho Man" Savage and Ravishing Rick Rude hinted at a bright future, The Ultimate Warrior's career in the ring began to fade following his strange spectacle at Summerslam 1991. Now through interviews with Vince McMahon, Eric Bischoff, and others who worked with The Ultimate Warrior in the WWE and WCW, the truth about America's strangest athlete comes to life as never before. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
A man fights to bring decency and the rule of law back to his hometown in this action drama. Chris Vaughn (The Rock) left his home in Washington State's timber country to join the Army, where he distinguished himself as a member of the Special Forces. When his hitch is over, Vaughn decides to return home to help run the family business, a sawmill, but he soon makes the unpleasant discovery that things aren't what they once were. Vaughn learns that the town's lumber industry has all but dried up, and an old high school buddy, Jay Hamilton (Neal McDonough), has turned the city into a den of vice, running a large gambling casino and strip club while selling drugs and women on the side. Angry at this turn of events, and frustrated by local law enforcement officials who are willing to ignore Hamilton's crimes in exchange for kickbacks, Vaughn decides to run for sheriff, and with the help of another old friend, Ray Templeton (Johnny Knoxville), he wins the election. But Hamilton doesn't take kindly to Vaughn's attempts to clean up the town, and Vaughn discovers Hamilton's henchmen are willing to target his friends, his family, and the woman he loves (Ashley Scott) in order to have their way. Walking Tall was based on Phil Karlson's 1973 action hit of the same name, which was in turn inspired by the true story of Buford Pusser, who was sheriff of Tennessee's McNairy County between 1964 and 1970 and gained fame for his tough tactics against the local criminal element. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- The Rock, Johnny Knoxville, (more)
Beck (The Rock) is a "retrieval specialist" in hock to a powerful and not particularly nice gentleman named Walker (William Lucking). Beck is anxious to retire from his dangerous work and open a small restaurant. Walker tells Beck he'll be free and clear with enough cash to fulfill his dream if he does one more job. He sends Beck into the Brazilian rainforest to bring back his wayward son, Travis (Seann William Scott). Travis is down there looking for a legendary idol, El Gato Diablo, which he could sell for millions if he found it. A pretty local, Mariana (Rosario Dawson), offers Travis the use of her boat in exchange for a cut of the take on the statue. But the powerful Hatcher (Christopher Walken) owns the area's huge mine, where locals work for slave wages, and feels that anything found in the area is his property. He refuses to let Beck take Travis back to the U.S. until the statue is in his hands. Using his estimable fighting prowess (he doesn't like guns), Beck manages to get Travis out of town, but Travis doesn't want to go home, and he ends up getting them stranded in the jungle, where they're confronted with horny monkeys and angry guerrillas. To make matters worse, Hatcher and his thugs are hot on their trail, and Mariana turns out to have her own motives for getting involved. The Rundown, the second film directed by actor Peter Berg (Very Bad Things), features a brief, uncredited cameo by Arnold Schwarzenegger. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
- Starring:
- The Rock, Seann William Scott, (more)
The Rock has his first starring role in this prequel to The Mummy films, which was developed while The Mummy Returns was still in production. The film takes place in ancient times, when a mighty swordsman, Memnon (Steven Brand, making his film debut) ruled over nearly all the known world. Memnon, a brutal tyrant, defeats his enemies in battle with the help of a beautiful sorceress, Cassandra (Kelly Hu), who can predict the future. The last of the "free tribes" form a fragile alliance to fight Memnon, and hire a trio of Akkadian assassins, led by Mathayus (pro wrestler The Rock, who made his big-screen debut as this character in The Mummy Returns), to kill the sorceress and thus remove Memnon's advantage. Balthazar (Michael Clarke Duncan of The Green Mile), the powerful leader of the Nubians, objects to hiring mercenaries, but the plan goes forward. The assassins are betrayed by Takmet (Peter Facinelli), the son of one of the tribal leaders, and Mathayus finds himself unable to kill Cassandra. Thanks to the unlikely machinations of Cassandra, and the aid of a horse thief, Arpid (Grant Heslov of True Lies), Mathayus escapes to the desert. He eventually abducts Cassandra, who explains that Memnon was holding her against her will. Mathayus thwarts Memnon's efforts to re-capture Cassandra, then uses his newfound sense of justice to convince the surviving tribal leaders to join forces again to defeat Memnon. The Scorpion King was directed by Chuck Russell. Jonathan Hales (Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones) was credited with the story, and WWF owner Vince McMahon has an executive producer credit. The film, which was shot in the U.S. (very unusual for a big action film), reportedly underwent extensive re-shoots when the first cut came in with a running time of 70 minutes. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
- Starring:
- The Rock, Steven Brand, (more)
In a rare foray into documentary filmmaking, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer's Imagine Entertainment produced this behind-the-scenes look at professional wrestling, shot on digital video by director (Barry W. Blaustein), screenwriter of several hit Eddie Murphy comedies. An unabashed wrestling fan since childhood, Blaustein nevertheless takes an unflinching look at the dark underbelly of the "sport," as he shadows a trio of wrestlers representing three very different aspects of the profession. Mick Foley is a superstar shown to be the complete opposite of "Mankind," his successful wrestling character. At work, Mankind is a bloodthirsty animal, but when his mask is off, he's a loving, doting father clearly worshipped by his two young kids, who are traumatized when they witness Foley being bloodied at an Anaheim, California, event. Terry Funk is a portrait of what Foley could become, a former legend now at the end of his career and in desperate need of knee surgery, but continuing to perform dangerous stunts in the ring. Jake "The Snake" Roberts, on the other hand, travels in second-class wrestling circles, a recovering drug addict who has a painful reconciliation with his daughter. Blaustein also interviews the World Wrestling Federation's boastful bigwig Vince McMahon. McMahon later tried to block the release and promotion of the film. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Barry W. Blaustein, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, (more)
- 1999
What exactly goes on behind the scenes at the World Wrestling Federation? Take a guided insider's tour with Hitman Hart. Learn the business side of setting up matches and the theatrical preparations that go into every big match. With Spanish subtitles. ~ Laura Mahnken, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bret Hart
- 1989
- PG13
Hulk Hogan, in an inarguably appropriate casting choice, plays a professional wrestler in this action-packed drama. Rip (Hogan) is a grappling star who is approached by Brell (Kurt Fuller), the new head of the World Television Network. Brell wants Rip to wrestle on his network, but Rip insists on honoring his commitment to another outlet. Brell responds by launching a show called "Battle of the Tough Guys," in which the beefy regulars of a particularly rough drinking establishment fight each other on camera. Zeus (Tom "Tiny" Lister Jr.) soon emerges as the bad guy champion on this new show, and Brell uses Rip's friendship with his assistant Samantha (Joan Severance) to arrange a bout between Zeus and Rip. Rip is not at all interested until Zeus injures his brother and makes the fight a matter of personal pride. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Hulk Hogan, Kurt Fuller, (more)
