There is a strong tradition of wrestling in the UK, for almost twenty-five years it was a cornerstone of Saturday afternoons, that is until it went of the air. Although it's seen a big resurgence in recent years, there’ve been a lot of independent promotions popping up & doing great business, and not one but three different TV shows showcasing British talent have hit UK screens in 2018.
Which brings us to Walk Like a Panther, a movie that attempts to tap into the nostalgia…
Back in the day there were a legendary group of wrestlers known as the Panthers led by Trevor ‘Bulldog’ Bolton, once wrestling went off the air they all settled in the same village, and the heart of that village is the Half Nelson Pub run by Trevor’s best friend and fellow grappler Ginger Frost. The Panthers, and Ginger in particular, are idolized by Trevor’s son Mark.
Fast forward thirty-something years and Mark works in the pub, his dreams of becoming a wrestler long behind him. When Ginger dies suddenly his friends gather to pay their respects. At the wake a local yob disrespects Ginger and the Panthers teach him a lesson, which is captured by another youth and unloaded to YouTube. When the video goes viral a local promoter decides to put on a reunion show.
Coincidentally it turns out the brewery, which Trevor now works for, want to close the Half Nelson. So the show becomes part Ginger tribute, part fundraiser. Mark has a crisis of confidence, the Panthers recruit a villain from back in the day for the finale, and Lena Headey makes a cameo at the end.
Walk Like a Panther starts with an injection of nostalgia as Mark (Stephen Graham) tells us why he loved wrestling as a child, inter-cut with footage of all the big names from World of Sport Wrestling. It’s all pretty much down hill from there. What proceeds is a confused film destined for the bargain bin. For a comedy it’s not remotely funny, for a drama it’s lacking in the dramatic, as a dramedy it fails on both counts, and wrestling fans will point their finger at it and exclaim ‘This is why people thing wrestling is a joke’.
The timing of this film is all wrong, it starts with lamenting for the days of WOS Wrestling but the film was released on 3rd March 2018, on 31st December 2016 a two hour revival special was broadcast and on 28th July 2018 the first episode of a ten part series aired. The thing Mark is harking back to has already returned, and if he really wanted to become a wrestler there are plenty of places he could have done it. While not televised, the UK has always had an independent scene. There are also massive wrestling scenes in America, Canada, Mexico, Germany, and Japan.
…and why does Mark have a Scouse agent? Other than the fact Graham can’t do any other. His father has a strong Geordie accent, his mother a generic English one, his idol/father figure has a London accent and he grew-up in what appears to be a Yorkshire village. While that might not mean anything to the non-Brits, it’s not remotely logical. It would be like someone having a distinct French accent, when their parents where English & German and they lived their entire life in Spain.
Finally, because otherwise we’ll be here all day, we come to Lena Headey. There are a significant number of names and faces recognisable to British audience here, but Headey’s, while brief, seems only to be included to make a cheap Game of Thrones joke….and to save you all time here it is. Headey plays Janet Winters, the big boss of the brewery. When Trevor’s boss is trying knock down the pub, Headey rocks up and one of the workers on demolition duty says…drum roll, please…'Winters is coming'. Totally Worth it.
Headey’s character later says she loves wrestling, and one can only assume Headey feels the same. Why else would she appear in this disaster? and since she’s also appearing in the forthcoming Fighting with my Family, a film about WWE star Paige, it’s certainly possible Headey is spitting some truth here.
Have you seen Walk Like a Panther? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.
