The 10 best movies to watch from WWE Studios

When people think “WWE,” wrestling and the larger-than-life stars that occupy the company’s so-called “universe” understandably come to mind. If the mind drifts to movies, it’s likely to megastars like Dwayne Johnson or John Cena, who have made the jump to multiplexes around the world.

If you’re an outside observer, the existence of a WWE movie studio may come as a surprise. Professional wrestling is nothing without its own entertainment. With timeless battles of good versus evil and characters ranging from undead monsters like The Undertaker to antiheroes like Stone Cold Steve Austin, it’s positively primal stuff. The wrestling world is tailor-made to exist somewhere within the cinematic stratosphere, as shown by Cena and The Rock’s successful splashes across mediums.

WWE also realized this. In the beginning, WWE was happy to be a producer for films like Hulk Hogan’s Hulk Hogan. You can’t lose!, And finally, to The Rock’s first major vehicles, The Scorpion King The Complete Rundown. In 2005, WWE eliminated the middleman to create WWE Studios. Like most of WWE’s attempts to venture into the mainstream, public response was largely derisive, and the box office receipts for the studio’s first three outings reflected that. Although Marine John Cena is the star of this film. See No Evil (starring Kane) weren’t total failures, recouping some of their budgets, the Stone Cold-fronted The Condemned It was a clear bomb.

WWE Studios changed their focus quickly and jumped into the direct-to video market. As their compilation videos and documentary films had enjoyed a steady stream of sales over the years, this was logical. It stands to reason the same person buying a “Best of Randy Orton” DVD might also grab an action thriller with Orton’s face plastered on the front cover. While WWE Studios’ movies have ventured back into theaters here and there to varying success, it’s the DTV realm where they’ve found most of their fruitful results. It has many films and offers a variety of options. With sequels you had no idea existed, partnerships with Hanna-Barbera on wildly silly cartoons, and a legitimately great theatrical outing starring Florence Pugh, if you sift through WWE Studios’ prolific (but mostly terrible) filmography, there’s some great stuff to be found.

The following is a selection of hidden gems created by the studio. You can find them here:

Fighting With My Family

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Image

Far and away the most successful film in WWE Studios’ library, Fighting With My Family The film was commercially and critically successful. Starring Florence Pugh as WWE wrestler Paige, it charts the popular star’s rise to fame within the company. In real life, Paige likes to joke she’s been wrestling since she was in the womb, as her mother (British independent wrestler Sweet Saraya, portrayed in the movie by Game of Thrones’ Lena Headey was unaware that she had been pregnant and had fought in matches.

Paige’s story — first as a girl coming of age in a ring surrounded by a family of wrestlers, then as a woman who didn’t have the look WWE desired but still found success — is compelling. It was so compelling that an entire documentary film (also known as “The Paige Story”) was created. Fighting With My Family) following Paige’s and her brother Zak’s attempts to be signed by WWE. The story goes The Rock, having seen the documentary, was so enamored with Paige’s journey that his production company (Seven Bucks Productions) bought the rights and partnered with WWE to re-create the inspiring journey.

The film is a sports biopic that ticks all the boxes, but it manages to transcend to show a charming slice of the life we seldom see. Sure, we’ve seen the social outcast proving everyone wrong on their way to victory, but the scrappy world of British independent wrestling is a unique setting for this kind of narrative.

Stephen Merchant’s lovely script cuts through the schmaltz, but the lion’s share of credit has to go to Florence Pugh. This film was also released in the same year. Midsommar Little Women, it’s easy to forget this one hit first. Already a rising star, thanks to Lady MacbethPugh was a star in 2019 with three distinct, well-realized performances. If you haven’t seen My Family: Fighting with My Family Pugh immediately sinks into the role of Paige and nails her sardonic wit. It’s a good film, but Pugh is OutstandingRadiating the rare magnetism that few people possess, The idea that you’re watching a major star in the making is as clear as day.

This is a time capsule that captures the life of one of our most famous movie stars, right before she became a big star. Fighting With My Family is essential. That it’s a rock-solid sports/family drama packed with earned emotion is a bonus. Just try to ignore Dwayne Johnson gracelessly inserting himself into the film for a few moments that absolutely didn’t happen in real life.

Fighting With My Family All VOD platforms offer digital rentals and purchases.

Marine 3-6

Image: WWE Studios

Even if you have zero knowledge of WWE Studios, you’ve likely heard of Marine. Starring John Cena, it was one of WWE’s first solo outings as a production company and, to be frank, it’s not great. If you’re at all familiar with the DTV action market, you know no minor action film is truly dead, because all you need is name recognition and a vaguely well-known face to keep the flame alive for endless installments. It was this that forced franchising. Marine’s fate isn’t exactly surprising. But what? IsIt is amazing how this franchise has not only improved, but also become more great.

DTV Action is full of these types of successes stories (the Universal Soldier It is Undisputed Series are among the most impressive examples), but they were constructed on solid ground. If you were one of the few sitting in a theater enduring the first Marine movie, there’s no way you’d ever believe that by the sixth entry you’d be on the edge of your seat, holding back tears as it came to a close. That at the center of the franchise is famed WWE bad guy, the obnoxious Mike “The Miz” Mizanin, makes the series’ success even more shocking.

The tetralogy Marine 3Through 6 follows The Miz’s Jake Carter, a former marine whose sister is kidnapped. Our unlikely protagonist becomes an advocate for all kinds of people after rescuing her sister. The entries in this series are as basic as they come for the genre. So why is it so important? These entries feature DTV’s most solid action.

If you’re a DTV action head, you’re likely familiar with the names William Kaufman (director of 4)And James Nunn (director of 5 and 6). If you aren’t, giving these films a spin will totally change your perception of what DTV action can be. Kaufman and Nunn, two of the top DTV producers in this genre, have been doing some amazing work on the tactical aspect of production. Their level of craft behind the camera takes these abjectly standard action flicks and turns them into some of the most pulse-pounding and efficient action you’ll see.

As the series progresses, you can actively see The Miz get better and better as an action lead, and there’s a real sense of fulfillment in sticking the series out. You can see the value of the series’ investment in the final episode. 3 It gets into your bones. Other wrestlers crop up in fun appearances, most notably The Miz’s real-life wife, Maryse, WWE legend Shawn Michaels, and current megastar Becky Lynch in a legitimately great villain turn in 6, but this is The Miz’s franchise. The series has gone from a footnote to a must-see because of his commitment and strong execution.

The Marine 3 Digital rental and purchase available on all VOD platformsThe Marine 4. Streaming is possible on Starz as well as all VOD platforms, The Marine 5 6 Stream them free of charge on Tubi, or all VOD platforms.

Eliminators

Voltage Pictures

Sticking with James Nunn-directed action, 2016’s Eliminators Here’s another glimpse at the talent of this dude. The DTV legend Scott Adkins is pictured here with Wade Barrett, former WWE superstar. Eliminators Follows Thomas Adkins, a former U.S. Federal Agent. His identity is revealed after multiple victims accidentally broke into Thomas’ home. On the run, with his daughter taken from him and an assassin hot on his trail, Thomas must clear his name before it’s too late. While this action movie is pretty standard, what it lacks in innovation it more than compensates for with its fleet-footed brutality.

DTV action is alive and well on the basis of, well, action. It’s always a thrill to see what filmmakers can come up with on tight budgets and schedules, and Nunn is one of the best. He is fortunate to have Adkins as a star and Tim Man as his fight coordinator. A sagging middle can slow down the proceedings. Eliminators features some of Adkins’ most undersung fights. Adkins is able to match his speed and brawl with Barrett. Their two fights toward the end are phenomenal — hard-hitting barnburners full of spellbinding choreography that make the preceding 90 minutes well worth it.

Adkins’ fight with a few goons in a cable car suspended above the city is however, the crowning moment. Nunn’s strength is in letting his fights breathe and not cutting them to ribbons. We circle the cable car, as Adkins engages in a series of sickening fights. This is a great bit of camerawork. It’s a great bit of business and a peek into what Nunn would be capable of going forward, most notably in his re-teaming with Adkins, 2021’s excellent One shot.

Eliminators All VOD platforms offer digital rentals and purchases.

See No Evil 2

Lionsgate Home Entertainment

Let’s just get this out of the way: The first See No Evil It is horrible. A Z-tier slasher starring WWE’s perennial monster Kane, it took the worst, most offensive elements of Jason Voorhees and brought them to a noxious and ugly conclusion. Nastiness has its place, but there has to be some style behind it, otherwise your eyes eventually glaze over as you’re poked and prodded.

You are fortunate to have See No Evil 2. we’re upgraded from hack director Gregory Dark to the incomparable Soska sisters. For reasons far too long to go into here, the Soskas are hard to praise and their style is very much a “you’re either in or out” situation. They have vision. This is undisputed.

Here, as a group of teens descend upon a morgue for late-night antics that awaken the previously assumed dead Jacob Goodnight (Kane), the Soskas’ sicko, edgy style heightens this ill-advised sequel to a gonzo romp. The Soskas are a force to be reckoned with and will not stop. See No Evil 2 It is bloody and riotous, with only a hint of exhaustion towards the end.

To help along the journey are Danielle Harris (Jamie) and two horror veterans who will classify the joint in their great Danielle Harris. Halloween 4. 5 and Annie in Rob Zombie’s Halloween movies) Katharine Isabelle (Ginger) Ginger Snaps). The two give Kane’s Goodnight a pair of victims the audience can really care about. Harris has a strong claim as one of cinema’s greatest scream queens, turning in excellent performances as a child and adult. She’s no different here, punching well above the film’s weight class and grounding it when necessary. Isabelle is a total scream. She plays every minute to great effect. They’re two wildly conflicting performances that make this run-of-the-mill slasher stand apart. See No Evil 2 probably can’t be called “good” by any metric, but it’s too much gory fun not to recommend.

See No Evil 2It is free to stream with ads on Vudu Tubi and Plex.

Scooby-Doo! WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon

Warner Home Video

WWE and Scooby-Doo aren’t brands one would immediately group together, but it doesn’t take too much thinking to square it. Between the latter’s history of teaming up with celebrities like the Harlem Globetrotters or Adam West’s Batman, and the former’s dabbling in the supernatural over the years, it only makes sense that Mystery Inc. would get caught up in “sports entertainment” shenanigans.

Hanna-Barbera has a variety of collaborations with WWE Studios. Curse of the Speed Demon is by far the best (the less said about WWE’s foray into the future with the Jetsons, the better). This cartoon features Shaggy, Scooby-Doo and The Undertaker battling it out in an off-road race with Inferno. As with most Scooby-Doo capers, it’s up to them to solve the mystery of who Inferno is and, naturally, win the race. At a quick 72 minutes, Curse of the Speed Demon is a delightful breeze that pairs WWE’s penchant for the absurd well with Hanna-Barbera’s history of cartoon car racing. Littered with a cast of stars like Paige, Kofi Kingston, Triple H, and more, this is much more of a WWE cartoon than it is Scooby-Doo, which makes it a fun little outlier in the studio’s body of work.

Scooby and his gang are good at making a joke, but what’s really interesting is the way these bigger-than-life wrestlers adapt to the world. Mark Calaway (The Undertaker) in particular is having a ball, something he wasn’t always allowed to do as the deathly serious Deadman. WWE’s always tried to corner the children’s entertainment market, and WWE Studios is home to some of the worst kids’ programming you’ll ever see (Jingle All the Way 2 Being a low point. Curse of the Speed Demon The only bright spot is the well-written, hilarious jaunt.

Scooby-Doo! WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon All VOD platforms offer digital rentals and purchases.

There is no one who lives.

Anchor Bay Films

Japanese director Ryuhei Kitamura was once a major crossover force after 2000’s spectacularly bloody VersusHowever, his work is a little quieter in recent years. Other than Midnight Meat Train (and if you’re a Godzilla fan, Final Wars), Kitamura hasn’t been on a lot of people’s minds, and that’s a shame. He hasn’t slowed down, and as 2012’s There is no one who lives. shows, he hasn’t lost his edge either.

Like most WWE films, originality isn’t a priority, as we find a gang of highway robbers (including former WWE star Brodus Clay) attacking a couple traveling cross-country. This appears to be a cat-and-mouse story, but the gang soon opens the trunk and turns it upside down. Keep watching for the twists and turns. There is no one who lives. humming, but it’s Kitamura’s penchant for gore that makes it sing. Some of the kills here, including an especially nasty one involving a face and a car engine, are the kind that’ll either make you squirm or leap out of your seat. The whole thing is an exhilarating, thrilling bit of exploitation that would only have been possible in DTV. Luke Evans, known only as “The Driver,” gives one hell of a wicked performance, oscillating with each turn to increasingly horrific effect. There isn’t an ounce of wasted space either; it clocks in at barely over an hour. There is no one who lives. isn’t going to light the world on fire, but if you enter knowing as little as possible, it’s a hellish good time.

There is no one who lives. It is free to stream with ads on Tubi & Vudu.

12 rounds 2: Reloaded

Image by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

We have one more sequel to the John Cena flick. Both 12 rounds 12 rounds 2: Reloaded Shameless ripoff Get Hard with a Vengeance, However, where the former was Renny Hartlin as a director calling in to complain about his career’s downfall, the latter is a DTV veteran who turns in an average performance. Starring Randy Orton (perfect, as his career will always sort of exist in Cena’s shadow), Reloaded finds paramedic Nick Malloy forced into the titular game of 12 Rounds — a series of life or death puzzles orchestrated by a mysterious figure from his past — in order to save his wife’s life.

It’s all very sub-sub-Jigsaw, but at their basest level, “one wild and crazy night” films are almost always a good time. Our lead can bounce about in increasingly bizarre situations without ever becoming boring. Reloaded’s no different, as each round gets sillier and sillier, a highlight being Nick finding a figure from his past buried under a giant pile of sugar. It lives or dies, just like the action entries. Here, journeyman Roel Reiné takes the wheel and turns in one of his sturdier outings. Reiné is typically a feast-or-famine filmmaker; you’ll either get pretty good (this year’s underrated The Fistful of Vengeance) or downright unwatchable (Death Race 2). He can be both well-shot and sharp, or sloppy and haphazard. This is where he does it well, making the pulse pump and delivering an incredibly silly performance. Reloaded is not particularly strong with the emotional beats, which does slow us down after a wild first hour, but Reiné reels it back in for a terrific finale.

Randy Orton’s only recently found a charismatic spark to his wrestling persona, but there’s something compelling about his sleepy stoicism here. He brings a certain level of reality where other people might overplay it (see Jon Moxley’s abysmal turn in part three of this series). It’s enough to mistake him as an actor making choices, and hey, that just adds some further charm to a sequel that has no right to be as fun as it is.

12 rounds 2: ReloadedIt is streaming on HBO Max.