-Written by Kyle Bain.
Mildred Burke (Emily Bett Rickards) sets out on the journey of a lifetime, as she yearns to become the face of women’s wrestling, in a time when women’s wrestling was illegal. Queen of the Ring details the true story of Mildred, who defied the odds and became something that no one anticipated a woman could ever be.
Queen of the Ring feels like a caricature of the American 1950’s–where Rickards exaggerates every word, and nearly every character is a basic archetype of the time. While there’s a compelling story here, it’s effectively overshadowed by the film’s flaws. There’s something incredibly basic about the storytelling in Queen of the Ring, and while the story is based on fact, I wish that there had been a bit more luster present, maybe a bit more Hollywood magic thrown in the direction of the production.
Rickards was one of the best parts of the DC television series Arrow, a dark and impressive take on superheroes. She played opposite the show’s main character, and often worked as the muse for the series, but even more, the anchor. She shined brightly in a series that was both literally and figuratively dark–and it seems that Queen of the Ring is one of her first opportunities to shine in the lead role of a major production. With what she’s given, those aforementioned blunders in terms of hyperbole and tired archetypes, she doesn’t have the opportunity to flourish.
There is luster, however, in the brilliance of Andrew Strahorn, the film’s director of photography. The challenge of accurately capturing the various wrestling matches throughout can’t have been easy, but Stahorn steps up to the plate and continues to hit it out of the park. This was ultimately the thing that kept reeling me back in, kept appealing to the senses in a variety of ways. The cinematography present in Queen of the Ring is truly lustrous, and possibly its saving grace. As it pulls us in and out of the action, gets up close and personal with Mildred and her wrestling antics, viewers are able to effectively process, but even better, appreciate, what’s occurring before them. I hate wrestling, and can’t wrap my head around the idea of anyone finding it entertaining–so for this team to be able to create an immersive experience that appeals to me speaks volumes toward their prowess and ultimate success.
Queen of the Ring is a beautiful story, one that expresses Mildred Burke’s rise to fame, becoming the first female millionaire athlete–but it’s often hindered by failed dialogue, gratuitous exaggeration, and more. Additionally, it seems that Writer-Director Ash Avildsen hyper-sexualized nearly every one of the female characters present in this film. Sure, that was a part of women’s wrestling, but Queen of the Ring takes it to an entirely different level, stealing something from the compelling narrative and creating something cringeworthy in the process.
With the exception of the cinematography, it feels like Queen of the Ring is a failure for a multitude of reasons. It’s too long, the dialogue is often flat, and the characters are hyperbolic caricatures of the real individuals and of the times. Queen of the Ring certainly had potential, but it fails to achieve success in nearly every way.
Written & Directed by Ash Avildsen.
Starring Emily Bett Rickards, Josh Lucas, Tyler Posey, Walton Goggins, Francesca Eastwood, Marie Avgeropoulos, Kailey Farmer, Cara Buono, etc.
4/10 = WORTH THE RISK, BUT YOU’VE BEEN WARNED
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