Ready to Rumble

A slow-pitch comedy about professional wrestling fans, Ready to Rumble follows David Arquette and Scott Caan as a pair of Wyoming septic tank cleaners--completely in denial about the staged nature of their favorite "sport"--who resolve to return their wrestling hero (Oliver Platt) to the ring after a humiliating defeat. Well-cast, but rarely funny, the film has the sorry task of pretending that wrestling is real in order to prevent the plot from collapsing completely before the violent cage match climax. While it's meant to be idiotic, it badly overshoots its goal, seemingly aiming for some niche market of moviegoers that find Pauly Shore pictures too intellectually taxing. Not recommended. (R. Blackwelder)