Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

I'm a casual wrestling fan, who's more interested in occasionally watching a YouTube clip out of nostalgia then in regularly following the sport. This documentary still was very compelling, though, because it examines some very fascinating and charismatic people. You don't need to know a thing about the business; the narrator himself doesn't refer to the more technical aspects and the doc. doesn't resort to the sports movie cliché of an athlete perfecting a move or style.The focus is primarily on several men who've achieved iconic status in wrestling. Their upbringing, their current status in wrestling, and the way they relate to family, fans, and other wrestlers. Terry Funk gets the lion's share of attention, understandably so since he's a rare example of a wrestler performing capably well into middle age (he was over 50 in the late 90's when this doc. was made). Funk helped pioneer a very gritty style. The fans grew to appreciate his spirit and skill (he and his opponents don't get seriously hurt, an essential part of being a good wrestler is making things look dangerous without getting hurt). Just the same, the years of competing have taken their toll on both Funk's body (a doctor says that he should barely be able to walk) and his family's patience. We're presented with his farewell match, in which he graciously loses to the younger but more famous Bret Hart, only to be told near the documentary's end that Funk found the paycheck, and the fan cheering, too tempting as he made a comeback just 3 months after the B. Hart match.More haunting is Jake the Snake Roberts. An enigmatic figure with an unforgettable gimmick (a python wrapped in a bag, ready to be unleashed on frightened opponents), his drug addiction and obviously stricken psyche have relegated him to the lowest level of wrestling. A performer known more for his personality than his athletic feats, he still can mesmerize a crowd and build a good rapport with his opponent. Out of the ring, he often speaks of the bleak loneliness of life on the road without any kind of steady relationships. We see him struggle through a meeting with his estranged daughter who fears that Jake will never fulfill his fatherly duties. Jake matter of factly relates his shocking background; being conceived in a rape, his sister being murdered, among other things. Will he overcome these things? No way to tell, especially after he goes on a drug binge and the concerned doc. crew can't find him.Amiable and somewhat spaced out, Mick Foley is a rather odd case. A top level performer for the biggest wrestling company (the WWF), his gimmick of being a glutton for punishment has led to the company pushing him harder and harder, eager to excite the fans and boost ratings. Foley himself encourages this push as we see youthful footage of Foley performing stunts. Bearded, missing several teeth, and with a thick mane of curls, he seems much older than he really is. A doting husband and father of several young children, it's quite distressing to watch his family endure a match in which Foley's head is lacerated open. In a post-match haze, Foley and the company boss reassure each other that the fans got what they wanted. Later on, when Foley watches his family's reaction to the match, he admits that for the first time he's concerned about his profession and the way it batters him. Unlike the majority of performers, Foley went on to retire (and stay retired) at a fairly young age. Several successful auto-biographical books helped him do it.We see shorter segments on other, less notable performers. A black wrestler named New Jack, with obvious tattoos and scars, who brags about being violent, goes to a Hollywood casting agency. We see him reciting a script with a male agent. Said agent enthusiastically praises New Jack. A woman agent is more grounded, saying that New Jack might be better cast as a "best friend" type. Well, have you seen New Jack in any big movies lately? A performer is signed by the WWF and given the gimmick of "puke", who is slated to be promoted based on his ability to vomit. Ultimately this didn't really go anywhere but the performer did go on to have moderate success as "Droz" (an abbreviation of his real name). Liked by his peers, his career was cut short after being paralyzed by a clumsy performer.Another study is two products of a California wrestling school which puts on amateurish shows. These two fellows are invited to perform and be evaluated at a WWF show. One is a soft spoken, rather thin and young black wrestler. He's told by the WWF to upgrade his build and get a better costume. The other wrestler, a very muscular and older white guy who is an airline mechanic when not pursuing his dream, fares better. The WWF and the crowd likes his aggressive attitude and technical skill. We're not told if the WWF ever signed either one, leaving us with uncertainty as is often the case in wrestling. The wrestling school manager tells students upfront that pay is minimal outside of the biggest promotions and few ever make it big.After examining the ups and downs of the business, the director, a life-long fan of wrestling, admits that he's still drawn to the spectacle but still can't explain why. Perhaps it's the sincere admiration that both crowds and performers have for the best competitors. The backstage footage of wrestler camaraderie and of the efforts put into shows by so many down to the crews that put rings together, string up the lights and speakers, and choreograph and evaluate the way that wrestlers are used are a testament to a thankless profession.

When you want to show anyone what the world of Pro Wrestling to anyone who has been curious about it.Then Beyond The Mat is the way to go because it was produced, written and directed by Barry Blaustein who is said in the movie to have grow up a huge fan of Pro Wrestling.Years later he was inspired to find out why these men and women became Pro Wrestlers and when you watch this movie you get to see the rare world that we as wrestling fans hardly get to see.We get a behind the scene look at what makes wrestling, Wrestling you get Indy promotions as well as ECW Extreme Championship Wrestling and The WWF The World Wrestling Federation.Beyond The Mat also gives us some rare looks into the lives of the wrestlers we grew up with along with seeing what's it like for them, you get to see Mick "Mankind" Foley, The Rock, Terry Funk, Jake The Snake Roberts and many more pro legends. Along with seeing some rare footage of wrestling events there is just so much you can love as a fan of Wrestling and if you're not a fan you'll get a better understanding of why they chose this line of work. Beyond The Mat is the one wrestling film that gives the sport justice and it came from a fan which makes it much more better.If you haven't seen this movie you have to because it is classic I give Beyond The Mat A 10 out of 10

A Sport Documentary with Attitude, Director Barry Blaustein focuses on the lives of pro-wrestlers both inside and outside of the ring, primarily Mick Foley, Terry Funk, and Jake the Roberts. These three will make up the bulk of the documentary time focus on them. Mick Foley aka Mankind, Catcus Jack, and Dude Love is a man on the top of his career, famous for taking increasingly risky bumps (Stunts) whom family is worry about his safety. In one famous scene, Mick Foley's family watching ring side is nearly put into tears after seeing their father and husband be beaten up by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson at a WWE PPV 'Royal Rumble'. Mick can't see that the abuse he takes on his body is hurting his family. Another wrestler focus on is Terry Funk whom can't find himself retiring even with him being 53 years old at the time of shooting and past his prime. Terry Funk represent the man who would die in the ring, rather than quit the business. A Randy 'The Ram' Robinson like personality whom just looking for the next big comeback. Lastly, the film focus on a wrestler who is at his rock bottom. Jake 'The Snake' Roberts whom popularity height reach in the 1980's is now in the late 1990's a crack cocaine addict that estranged from everybody he call family. His daughter wants no part of him, and his father doesn't want to speak to him. Yes, there will be short knit bits of other wrestlers in the film, such as short lived career puking Darren Drozdov, the movie star dreaming New Jack, and two wrestlers Tony Jones and Michael Modest trying to get a try out. The director spent three years endeavoring to understand the mindset of someone who would voluntarily choose to become a professional wrestler. Blaustein interviews a wide variety of wrestling personalities and ascertains their motivations. What the movie lacks is interviews with the big time wrestlers of the time, Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H, and The Rock. It would be nice to see what their take on the business is. Another problem with the film is while they were able to film both in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Federeration, I felt that when World Championship Wrestling refused to participate in the film, it really made the film missing opinions of those wrestlers. The interview questions could have been more driven to talking about more serious key issues dealing with pro-wrestling such as steroids, wrestling union, and the sense of faking- violence. There are a couple of laughs in the movie, but the overall effect is much more depressing than it is humorous. The self-mutilations in the movie might be hard to watch for non-wrestling fans. For the wrestling fans, this is a must watch, so check it out.

I have been a Wrestling fan for years...but, have recently stopped watching. This was due in part to the fact that I like the "Old School" Wrestling style of the 1970's...and didn't really like the new crap they had been throwing at us since the mid-90's. I was a Wrestling Manager in several "Outlaw" shows in the mid-90's...so I knew some of the inside...tricks and such. But, this movie was so insightful. It was wonderful all around. The Terry Funk segment is great and The Jake Roberts section....will make you cry...and the Mick Foley segment will make you ask "why" over and over again. The flick was so great that I watched it twice in a matter of just a couple of days. The only thing that made it a 9 instead of a 10...was the fact...that in my assessment...it ran about 30 minutes too long....and "drug" in spots....but, all in all...you've got to see it.