Below the Belt (1980)

6.2/10. A movie that tries being serious, tries the underdog status before Rocky existed. It fails here as I couldn't believe Jane O'Brien, an actual wrestler and the real star of the movie, would have trouble beating up the challenger, Regina Baff, who's barely 5 feet tall and barely over 100 lbs. I hated them playing the funky sounding choir music, found it unnecessary. I also couldn't believe how shallow/one note most of the characters were like Sierra Pecheur's Verne Vavoom, claiming she felt safe on the road having wrestled since age 17 and here she is at age 42 or so. I really hated Regina Baff's Rosa Rubinsky, just a whiner who couldn't smile and only got where she was because some promoter found her impressive wielding off a drunk, as if that's hard. The book, To Smithereens, made her more interesting, true, a laid back type but that character had more depth and more fun to be around. Jane O'Brien's Terrible Tommy gets dumbed down to the cliched bully who's against the heroine for no reason. I compare their match to Fabulous Moolah vs Wendi Richter for old school vs new school and lack of skills and the dream match of Penny Banner vs Trish Stratus, an actual pro who could tear apart an untalented bimbo. This movie's so bad you watch it to laugh at how bad it is. I certainly do.

Rob245