GVN Review: Paramount Pictures Animated ‘Rumble’ – ‘A pleasant family diversion, especially for those who are wrestling fans’

So, what do you get when you combine the creative minds of cartoonist, author Rob Harrell, director Hamish Grieve, WWE Studios and the animated talents of Reel FX animation? You get Rumble, an entertaining film full of Monster Wrestling, humor and heart. Inspired by Rob Harrell’s book Monster on the Hill, Rumble tells the story of an unlikely team trying to uphold their family legacy. Every local town had their wrestling monster hero. And for Stoker-on-Avon, that was Rayburn. He was the pride of the town and coached by local legend Jimbo Coyle. Everything was great until Rayburn and Jimbo were lost at sea on the way to a match. Now Stoker was without its heroes and the town suffered with that loss.

Tentacular

However, there was a monstrous light at the end of the tunnel. Jimbo’s protégé Siggy Marlon had brought on a new Monster. One that would restore the glory of Stoker: Tentacular! So excited was the town that they pooled all their resources to renovate their wrestling stadium. One fitting to honor the great Jimbo Coyle and their new savior. A match was set for the World Monster Wrestling Championship. Tentacular vs. King Gorge. The whole town was, shall we say…Stoked?! But none more than Winnie Coyle. Daughter of Jimbo and perhaps, the biggest monster wrestling fan of them all. She was ready for Stoker to once again reign supreme. And Tentacular was the monster to do it.

From Babyface to Heel

The match was everything that Monster Wrestling fans could have hoped for. Back and forth, no quarter given or taken. But in the end, the fans got what they wanted. Tentacular came out victorious and won the belt. Stoker was once again the capital of the Monster Wrestling World. Until they weren’t. Because as every wrestling fan knows, the switch from “babyface” to “heel” happens in an instant. And the best way to make it happen is when no one expects it. Stoker, meet disappointment. Because no sooner than had Tentacular won the belt, he announced his intention to leave Stoker for the bright lights of Slitherpoole. Much to the horror of Stoker.

But as much as a gut punch his announcement was, the results were even worse. Without Tentacular and the money his belt would bring into Stoker, they could not make their payments on the new stadium renovations. A fact not lost on Slitherpoole. They would buy the stadium from Stoker and tear it down for a parking lot. One with express shuttle service to Slitherpoole. How nice!

Locating a New Champion

Needless to say, Winnie was devastated by this news. That stadium was all she had of her father. She couldn’t let it get torn down. She needed to find Stoker a NEW champion. Someone better than Tentacular…the slimy turncoat. But where could she find someone with the talent, the drive, the work ethic to bring Stoker back from the brink. She had her dad’s wrestling playbook. She would train the new monster to honor both Jimbo and Stoker. The problem was to find someone to train. Which wasn’t easy. Mainly because none of the wrestlers she talked to took her seriously. Regardless of her family pedigree, she was still just a GIRL. How nice of them to notice.

In this Together

Eventually, she found someone that she might be able to work with. He was slow, he was lazy, and he was satisfied with losing. As long as he got a paycheck, he was good. However, Stevie had something going for him. The one thing that would make him perfect for her plan. Stevie was in actuality, Rayburn’s son. Not that he wanted anyone to know that. He had left Stoker to get away from the expectations that being Rayburn’s son had put on him. Steve was not, nor would ever be Rayburn. He was Steve and that had to be enough. Unfortunately for Steve, Winnie’s interference in a match had caused him to win a match he was supposed to lose. Now he owed the promoter a large sum of money to recompense her for his mistake. So, with both needing money, Winnie and Steve were in this together. All Steve had to do was win his matches, and both Stoker and he would get what they want.

Dancing to Their Own Tune

As you would expect, it takes time for Winnie and Steve to build a trust, especially since Winnie had such strong remembrances of Steve’s dad. It also caused problems when she tried to rely completely on Jimbo’s playbook. Steve did not respond to the tactics that worked with Rayburn. So, Winnie needed to carve out her own path. Which required some unorthodox training techniques. It’s what is often said, everyone dances to their own tune. It was only when Winnie realized what Stevie’s tune was, that she made some real progress. And while it was not to the liking of “monster wrestling purists,” it was all Steve.

It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out what happens next. In time, there was reconning to be had with Tentacular, for all the wrestling marbles. The belt, the stadium, it was all on the line and where else would the match take place but in Stoker. The results are up to you to watch. C’mon, I laid the groundwork, it’s up to you bring it home.

Thoughts

If you have read Rob Harrell’s Monster on the Hill, you will have a preview of some of the characters adapted for this film. And while the film is its own story, those characters are quite prominent, starting with Stoker-On-Avon, the town that depends on its monster for prosperity. In both the book and Rumble, Rayburn made the town what it was. And in both cases, Stoker lost its Monster for different reasons. Monster on the Hill’s Rayburn suffered from self-esteem issues. Thus, he was useless to Stoker for mayhem and tourist dollars. The film makers carried a bit of this trait over to Rayburn, Jr. In Harrel’s book, Tentacular was a successful and confident monster from another town. While in Rumble, he was also a successful and confident monster…and not the least bit a jerk. Beyond that, however, Paramount, WWE Studios along with Reel FX Animation and director Hamish Grieve took the film into a different direction. So, while fans of Harrel’s book shouldn’t be expecting a recognizable adaptation, there is enough similarities to cast a warm comfortable glow around the film. You can listen to our recent interview with the author about the book and the film here.

Animation and Voice-Talent

Reel FX Animation produced a fun and well-done animated film with a nice mix of characters and some colorful wrestling monsters with a nod to the British Bulldog and the Lucha Libre wrestlers. Rumble also took advantage of an all-star voice cast including Geraldine Viswanathan, Terry Crews, Stephen A. Smith, Jimmy Tatro, Tony Danza, Susan Kelechi Watson, Tony Shalhoub, Bridget Everett, Greta Lee, and Ben Schwartz. In addition to the WWE contributions of Joe “Roman Reigns” Anoa’i, and Becky Lynch. Plus, the recognizable tones of Michael Buffer and Charles Barkley.

Overall

Rumble is aimed primarily for younger kids and teens (although this old guy enjoyed it). It is 94 minutes of fun, family entertainment, with an ending that should satisfy that audience. Just don’t go in expecting too much as far as similarities to the book it is based on and you’ll find it a pleasant family diversion, especially for those who are wrestling fans.

Paramount Pictures Rumble is now streaming on Paramount+.

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Martin

Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 60 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove headfirst over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 21-year-old young man with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.