The Iron Claw

Sports films have, for decades, become quite the staple for creating films. It would be impossible to list them all, but suffice it to say, these can and have been real crowd pleasers. Certainly boxing and wrestling films are films about either underdogs or champions that all people really enjoy watching--one such film is "The Iron Claw" about a family that lives, sleeps, dreams wrestling that pursue and champion the sports in spades.

This is the true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, Kevin (Zac Efron), Kerry (Jeremy Allen White), David (Harris Dickinson) and Mike (Stanley Simons), who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980's. Through tragedy and triumph under the shadow of their domineering father and coach, Fritz (Holt McCallany), the brothers seek larger than life immortality on the biggest stage in sports. Through it all, Kevin meets and woos Pam (Lily James) who ends up being his most ardent confidante which, at times, really served him.

Others to round out the cast are Maura Tierney as Doris, Fritz's wife and mother to the brothers, Kevin Anton as Harley Race, Aaron Dean Eisenberg as Ric Flair and Michael P. Harney as Bill Mercer. 

This was intensely directed by Sean Durkin ("Martha Marcy May Marlene" '11, "The Nest" '20) plus TV and shorts. This filmmaker was innately able to extract those emotions, whether obvious or subtle, out of these actors in order to convince the audience that these are really the people they are portraying, and did with poignancy and sadness. Even though his experience isn't exhaustive, he simply rocked behind the camera. It was also incredibly well penned by writer Sean Durkin ("Martha Marcy May Marlene" '11, "The Nest"'20) and a short. Again, even with this writer's limited experience, he was able to write a powerful script. Of course, this story about the Von Erich family was rife with all the ingredients of a fine screenplay. Interestingly, the last name of this family is actually Adkisson, however back in the day, they decided to change it to Von Erich even after knowing someone who apparently lived a cursed life. So, as the tragedies of this family ensued, they really kept cursing themselves because the brothers came to believing the aspect of the curse, when in actuality tragedies happened either that were self-induced or unexplained. Other than a couple of very small places of continuity issues, this script rocked. This writer, and director for that matter, will undoubtedly receive more work, and we will be the victors for it. 

If you're an Efron fan, this is definitely the film for you. He goes deep into this character of Kevin and is able to show us his true acting prowess. And certainly if one is into wrestling/fighting films, this assuredly fits the bill. For having a two plus hour running time, you wouldn't know it since the story moves right along. You cheer for this family and you feel their pain when tragedy hits, so be prepared for a roller coaster ride.

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                         Rated: R                                          132mins.