Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		2.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		2.5

No Holds Barred Blu-ray Movie Review

Rip in or hold back?

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 30, 2014

No Holds Barred, the WWE (then WWF) production starring icon Hulk Hogan, was released in 1989 and preceded the advent of the UFC by a good four years. Oddly, the film shares more in common with the UFC than it does the world of professional wrestling, the former a true octagonal arena for no-rules (well, relatively few rules) combat and the latter a soap opera for guys in which athletes -- who also happen to be actors -- pull punches and kicks and employ a measure of safety when they climb into the square ring to establish drama through manufactured combat. No Holds Barred effectively takes the wrestler out of the ring and into the de facto UFC octagon for a fight to the finish against a brute enemy and a brutal battle of wits against a sneaky, snaky network suit. It's classic 80s cheese with precious little in the way of redeeming value. All that's missing is Eye of the Tiger blaring through all of the grunts and testosterone that attempt to mask the lack of a redeemable core story and the glaring absence of dramatic value.

You stare at me, I'll stare at you. All dramatic-like.

Rip (Hogan) is the World Wrestling Federation champion and the most popular wrestler of his time. Fans love him, and he them. He finds his inspiration in his younger brother (Mark Pellegrino) and is endlessly loyal to his brand. His star is so large that, even under contract, he's in demand. At the top of the list of organizations that wish to steal him away is World Television Network, a fast-growing outfit under the control of the win-at-all-costs Mr. Brell (Kurt Fuller). When Brell presents Rip with a blank check and the promise of even greater glory, the superstar refuses, creating a rift and pushing the network executive to find a way to tear Rip down. He seeks out the world's best fighter through his "Battle of the Tough Guys" open invitation television competition that promises instant stardom and $100,000 to the winner. Brell finds his man in Zeus (Tommy Lister), a bulky, menacing, cross-eyed, and unibrowed individual who is unbeatable in the ring and robot-like in his focus on winning. When Brell and Zeus force Rip's hand, the stage is set for a television showdown battle for the ages.

No Holds Barred means well enough in its pursuit of pitting a classic hero against a classic villain. It's the musclebound hero whose heart is bigger than his bulging biceps, who fights the good fight and has a kindly, caring hug for the waitress the instant the mayhem's over versus the ultra focused, no-nonsense villain who sees nothing but red and dreams only of the ever-growing pile of green in his bank account. It's the tenderhearted hero who finds encouragement and vitality from his weaker younger brother and who encourages kids to succeed versus the bad guy backed buy the predictably sleazy network suit who wants only to make sure the kids are glued to his channel. The movie is reminiscent of other likeminded 80s fare such as the Sylvester Stallone vehicle Over the Top, albeit reminiscent in basic structure only. This is a poor man's version of that (and many other, similar, pictures) in its effort to show heart through the prism of havoc. It starts well enough but devolves once it's clear that there's no room for originality and certainly no care for pace. The film's energetic open gives way to a lethargic middle stretch that transitions to a predictable end that brings resolution to the core story but engenders nothing of emotional value, failing to truly capture the essence of the would-be feel-good finale thanks to the generic trek through standard cinema dreck.

Considering the lack of a truly hard-hitting or, at the very least, emotionally satisfying script, the acting leaves much to be desired. The film banks almost entirely on Hogan's dominating physical presence to move tickets and generate interest. He's not a terrible performer by any stretch of the imagination, but many of his key scenes boil down to little more than a series of grunts meant to demonstrate growing anger at the problem at hand. Likewise, his largely silent opposite, Tommy Lister, is much the same, lacking the emotional balance and inner battles that Hogan necessarily demonstrates as his character evolves from entertainer to warrior. The dramatic crux follows Rip's evolution which is largely developed by Zeus' and Brell's incessant pushing and prodding. It's about stranding down in the face of hate and pressure but standing up when things go too far, when more than honor is at stake when the physical safety and well-being of oneself and those around is put at risk. The movie desperately wants to be a real go-getter, a classic tale of right and might standing tall in the face of adversity and adversaries that don't understand the meaning of the word "no." Unfortunately, it's terribly linear with not so much as a hint of original content to its credit.

No Holds Barred Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

No Holds Barred features a serviceable, but ultimately somewhat troubled, high definition presentation. Image Entertainment's Blu-ray never quite finds firm footing as it presents a disappointingly flat and disjointed visual experience. The opening title sequence doesn't inspire much confidence considering the rather pasty, dull, and soft appearance. Though things improve from there forward, they improve only marginally. Detail is revealing but not filmic and polished. The transfer proves capable of showcasing intimate facial textures but never does find that natural cinema-like façade. In fact, the image often fluctuates between messily grainy and noisy and hopelessly pasty. The image looks quite flat and smoothed over, particularly in its brightest sequences. Oddly, those bright sequences represent the best color presentations. Lively shades of rather loud blues and reds prove fairly rich, if still not a touch subdued and smooth. Colors frequently look a bit pale and weary, matching black levels that occasionally look washed out and devoid of texture. The image suffers from a fairly light but consistent sprinkling of wear and debris. This is a watchable presentation, but certainly not up to snuff with the best 80s-era catalogue releases.

No Holds Barred Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

No Holds Barred arrives on Blu-ray with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Much like the accompanying video presentation, Image Entertainment's soundtrack is just OK, not great. Things start well enough with decently spaced and energized music, playing with a strong supportive low end and alongside some fair crowd ambience. From there out, however, the track reveals its limitations. Punches and crashes in the ring never quite find a truly authentic flavor, coming across as crunchy and sloppy. A rowdy bar fight sequence and a buzzing helicopter represent some of the more aggressive moments in the film. Neither enjoys much more than cursory aggression, clarity and stage presence. Minor ambience, such as that heard in the background during a restaurant sequence in chapter three, never strives to accomplish more than push the most basic supportive elements into the stage. Dialogue is generally even and accurate, through sometimes scratchy and accompanied by the occasional underlying hiss. It's no great shakes, but this track does just enough to support the film's basic needs, nothing more and nothing less.

No Holds Barred Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

No Holds Barred contains two wrestling matches and a photo gallery.

• SummerSlam Match (SD, 29:51): Zeus & "Macho Man" Randy Savage w/ Sensational Sherri vs. Hulk Hogan & Brutus Beefcake w/ Miss Elizabeth. SummerSlam -- August 28, 1989.
• "No Holds Barred" Steel Cage Match (SD, 18:12): From December 27, 1989.
• Photo Gallery (HD).

No Holds Barred Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Where similar films like The Karate Kid succeed, No Holds Barred fails. Though many of the core themes are classic 80s -- the goodhearted hero pushed too far against the bad guys who can't see anything past the hate that defines their lives -- No Holds Barred feels like an emotionless knockoff, a movie that means well at its core but that can't execute to save its life. Serious themes are countered by a cartoonish façade and hopelessly one-dimensional characters. It's a perfect example of the 80s movie done rather poorly, its only redeeming value its star power and, now some quarter-century later, nostalgia. Image Entertainment's Blu-ray release of No Holds Barred features mediocre video and audio. A few bonuses are included. Hardcore fans will probably be waiting a long time for another release, so despite its flaws, this is the best the film is likely to look and sound for quite a while. On the other hand, curious general audiences are encouraged to rent or wait to buy on the cheap.