Bending the Rules - #11 of 2012

Okay.  So… WWE Films, subsidiary of World Wrestling Entertainment, is a bit of an interesting story.  They were originally created to co-produce The Scorpion King, The Rundown, and Walking Tall, all films starring The Rock, who had proven himself as a box office draw, but was still contractually obligated to WWE. 

That said, The Rock, although the most popular, was not an anomaly within the WWE organization.  Professional Wrestling has changed a lot over the years.  It wasn’t just about the wrestling any more.  It was about the performance and the pageantry.  The superstars in the ring were no-longer just athletic.  They had become talented orators and comedians.  They had transformed into showmen whose words alone could captivate an entire area full of people… holding them in the palm of their hands.

Say what you want about Professional Wrestling, but this is not an easy task.  Professional Wrestling isn’t just wrestling.  It’s a performance art.  And WWE knew it.

They began producing films showcasing their other wrestlers: Kane, John Cena, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Big Show, Randy Orton, and Triple H.  And along the way, WWE Films has also enlisted the talents of Hollywood’s elite:  Robert Partick (Terminator), Vinne Jones (Snatch), Academy Award Nominee Patricia Clarkson (Pieces of April), Danny Glover (Leathal Weapon), Dennis Farina (Get Shorty), three-time Academy Award Nominee Ed Harris (The Abyss), Parker Posey (A Mighty Wind), Michael Rapaport (Beautiful Girls), Bruce Dern (Big Love), Ethan Embry (Can’t Hardy Wait), Amy Smart (Rat Race),  and Aiden Gillen (The Wire and Game of Thrones).

Now… I’m not trying to say WWE Films makes good films.  But they do make the most tolerable direct-to-DVD movies out there.  Well, kind of tolerable.  They are kind of fun… in a bad movie sort of way.  Okay, my point is that they’re not horrible.  Most movies finding themselves on the direct-to-DVD market are there because they are too horrible to release in theatres.  Or, they are films for a niche-audience like the ones made by Troma Pictures.

But WWE Films, after three R-rated box-office flops, now specifically produce direct-to-DVD movies for the PG-13 and below market.  That right… WWE Films essentially produces ‘family friendly’ films. Shocking, right?

Anyway, on my quest to watch every film released in 2012 I ended up watching WWE’s latest: Bending the Rules, starring Jamie Kennedy (Scream), Jennifer Esposito (Crash), Alicia Witt (Friday Night Lights), Jessica Walker (Arrested Development), Kevin Weisman (Alias), Philip Baker Hall (Magnolia), and WWE Superstar Adam ‘Edge’ Copeland.

Now… okay… hmmm… alright… the movie isn’t great.  The script is contrived, predictable, and ill-conceived… and the directing felt a bit sophomoric.  However, the acting is what really, kinda, holds this movie together. 

And get this.  Adam Copeland is really good.  I mean really good.  I think he’s the best thing in the movie; and I don’t mean that as an insult to his supporting cast.  (Although, this was not one of Jamie Kennedy’s finer performances, except for his scenes with Philip Baker Hall… those scenes alone gave me a glimpse at the actor Jamie has the potential to be.  But then again… Philip is one of the most generous actors in the business and he’s excellent in everything he does).

As for Adam, he is incredibly natural on screen.  He never seemed forced (except for one specific moment reciting a movie line… but that was a script and direction issue… it was an awkward moment that should have been cut… if you see the movie you’ll see what I mean). 

Adam really showed off what he can do outside the ring.  His performance was funny, genuine, and endearing.  He would be perfect as a television series regular and someone should scope him up. 

WWE Films may be a good home for Stone Cold and John Cena… but not for Edge.  I mean Adam.  Adam has something.  And I hope I’m not only one who sees it. 

Anyway, this is a pretty stupid movie and as a cinefile I can’t really recommend it, but if you have teenagers in the house and you’re looking for something fun to watch as a family… there are much worse films out there.  

I should also mention Bending the Rules PG-13 rating.  This is a very tame PG-13.   Language is nil and sex is limited to light references (nothing crude).  The PG-13 rating must coming from mild violence in the form of gun play.  People do get killed… but the violence is not glorified and simply a plot devise, not unlike the superheroes killed in Pixar’s The Incredible.  I would probably let my 10 year old watch this movie with me.  If I had a 10 year old.