Body Slam poster & wallpaper

Dirk Benedict, Tanya Roberts, Roddy Piper

M. Harry Smilac is a down-on-his-luck music manager who is having a hard time attracting talent and booking gigs for his band, Kicks (The most recent of the gigs is a Dairy Queen opening!!). When maki...( read more  read more... )ng arrangements for a campaign fund-raiser, he mistakes Rick Roberts, a professional wrestler, for a musician and hires him. At that moment he becomes a wrestling manager and starts to book matches for him and his teammate Tonga Tom. The team is a success, and Harry decides to take his wrestlers and his band on a "Rock n' Wrestling" tour. The tour is a success, and Harry feels what it is like to be a winner again.

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48% liked it

645 ratings

PG, 89 min.

Directed by: Hal Needham

Release Date: May 1, 1987

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Flixster Reviews (39)

  • sdcraftnmom
    March 27, 2007
    sdcraftnmom
    was very intertaining.. gotta love Rowdy Roddy.
  • endeavourcrellc
    December 21, 2008
    endeavourcrellc
    A really funny movie, slapstick style comedy and lots of friends in it. Lots of cameos at the end match, very cool.
  • phantopp
    July 28, 2008
    phantopp
    "Body Slam" is a fictionalized account of the creation of the Rock-n-Wrestling Connection of the 1980's which stars some of the biggest names in pro wrestling at the time, as well as many B-Grade stars, a future "ER" star, a "Bond Girl" and the REAL "Starbuck" from "Battlestar Ga...( read more)lactica".

    The movie follows "M. Harry Smilac" (Dirk Benedict), an heavily in debt music manager, who inadvertently enters the world of professional wrestling when he helps "'Quick' Rick Roberts" ("Rowdy" Roddy Piper) make a deal, and immediately out of his contract with the vilianous manager, "Captain Lou Murano" (Captain Lou Albano). "Smilac" then signs "Tonga Tom" (The Tonga Kid), who becomes "Roberts" tag team partner.

    "Smilac" is also running the fundraising efforts of "Senator Norton Wilshire" running for an election, as well as the up-and-coming rock band "Kicks" (which later in the movie becomes Kick). He also tries to catch the attention of the gorgeous daughter (Tanya Roberts) of one of the women in charge of the election of the Senator, who slowly warms up to him as the movie progresses. "Smilac" also tries to dodge debt collector "Mr. Kim", who is known for his heavy Korean accent, and his two unnamed, non-speaking goons (The Wild Samoans -- Afa and Sika).

    After a disastrous fundraiser for "Sen. Wilshire", which "Smilac" promises to sign huge names in the music business, but only signs "Kicks," "Smilac" becomes depressed, and "Roberts" comes to his home to talk with him. During their talk, "Smilac" gets the idea of combining the Rock 'n' Roll business with professional wrestling.

    "Smilac" is happy with the success of his creation, but when it comes to "Roberts," who travels with his young neice, and "Tom" he sees even bigger plans -- specificly, the World Tag Team Championship. However, the title is held by "The Canibals -- Ax and Hammer" (The Barbarian and Tejoh Khan), managed by "Murano".

    Bent on their destruction, the "Captain" throws "The Canibals" at "Roberts" and "Tom". He even has a war of words on a pro wrestling interview TV show hosted by "Vic Carson" (Charles Nelson Reiley).

    For the most part, the acting in this movie is pretty good. Only a handful of the wrestlers, except for Albano and Piper, do a poor job at making their lines believable. Benedict's performance pretty much reminds me of his character in "The A-Team".

    A big problem with this movie is the development of the characters, and the development of their relationships -- except for the relationship between "Smilac" and "Candace Vandervegen" (Tanya Roberts). The relationship between "Roberts" and his niece, "Missy" (future "ER" star Kellie Martin) would have been one I'd liked to have seen expanded upon. However, the characters are enjoyable to watch, especially "Smilac", "Tonga Tom and "'Quick' Rick".

    Another problem with the movie is character development. They don't give much of a background on any of the main characters or their relationships before the movie joins their "lives". Personally, I would have liked to have known how "Roberts" and "Tom" knew one another if "Roberts" was with "Murano" and "Tom" was a fan favorite (the movie presents pro wrestling as 100% legitimate). One character I wish was more developed was "Tim McClusky" (the late Billy Barty), who was there just to make some funny one-liners more than anything else.

    The visuals, for the most part, are pretty good as well, however you can tell where the producers took some cuts to save some money. They also opted for point-of-view camera angles of the wrestlers while in the ring to make it look like you were the one in the ring with them. In my opinion the POV camera angles should have been avoided, especially when all the wrestlers did was mug for the camera. The sound effects in the wrestling matches are horrible, none sound realistic nor are their edited into the scenes well to make it appear their actually hitting one another. It is very noticeable that the sound of the "punches" landing are fake. Also, the editing of the matches are not well done.

    The story itself is the most enjoyable part of the movie. It's well written, but doesn't really help the majority of performances.

    Despite the flaws, and possibly because I'm a pro wrestling fanatic, I really enjoy this movie. In my opinion, this is one of, if not the best movies focusing on professional wrestling ever made.

    If you see this movie on one of the cable movie channels, and are a pro wrestling fan, check this movie out. If you're not a fan, I also recommend that you check it out if you want to see a good "B" movie.
  • Markusseaberry
    October 6, 2007
    Markusseaberry
    Mildly enjoyable rock 'n wrestling pic, watch it if it comes on cable late at night.
  • LukardRa3000
    July 20, 2007
    LukardRa3000
    Rock and wrestling, Roddy Piper, Dirk Benedict, what more could ask for? Pure 80's fun.
  • nuttyscotsman
    April 12, 2007
    nuttyscotsman
    i can't remember if i have seen this i think so but might be good to see it again then lol
  • cbright76
    March 27, 2007
    cbright76
    The movie about wrestling.
  • paullenkic
    March 19, 2007
    paullenkic
    I really loved this film when I was a kid. Looking at it now, it's pretty ordinary!

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