Steve is being pressed into service as a wrestler in training, but if he had a choice he’d prefer a rumba to a rumble.
The lackluster computer-animated movie “Rumble” hinges on what should be a boisterous high concept: Colossal monsters, living peacefully among people, compete as pro wrestlers. Armed with human trainers and cheered by fiery hometown fans, these fantastical creatures ascend to sports superstardom.
The story takes place in a wrestling-obsessed town called Stoker, where the tenacious teenager Winnie (voiced by Geraldine Viswanathan) vows to fill the void left by her late father, a renowned coach, and his title-holding titan, Rayburn. Seeking a new contender to represent the town, she sees promise in the pudgy, horned Steve (Will Arnett), an amateur who’s built his career on losing fixed matches. He also happens to be Rayburn’s son.
Cycling through daddy issues, lazy quips and training montages, Winnie and Steve rev up to reclaim the glory of their fathers. But while their goal is clear enough, the director, Hamish Grieve, leaves their identities only half formed. Spunk and moxie define Winnie, yet for a central character, her thoughts, feelings and interests beyond motivating her desultory new pal are not. And once Steve reveals that his true passion isn’t wrestling but salsa dancing, it’s a wonder he doesn’t give up the Goliath game and join a dance troupe instead.
For such a tactile aesthetic, the visual jokes are few, and of the movie’s WWE references, a fleeting voice cameo of Michael Buffer as an announcer is the only one that resonates. Low on inspiration and creative juice, “Rumble” would like to bring down the house but hardly causes a tremor.
Rumble
Rated PG. Running time: 1 hour 44 minutes. Watch on Paramount+.
Source: Movies - nytimes.com
