Rumble
Detailed parental analysis
Steve, Beast of Combat is an energetic and good-natured family animation comedy, carried along by a joyful atmosphere and an obvious affection for the world of professional wrestling. The story follows a wrestling-passionate teenager who takes charge of training a clumsy monster to take him all the way to the championship, in the hope of reviving a family tradition. The film aims at a young children and pre-teen audience, but remains accessible to the whole family.
Violence
Violence is omnipresent in the form of cartoon-style wrestling: punches, tackles, crashing heads and spectacular moves follow one another throughout the film. It remains entirely slapstick, that is to say exaggerated and defused by humour, without realistic consequences. Some monsters are knocked out during fights, but this never generates genuine distress. Violence here is a genre language in service of comedy, not a dramatic end in itself.
Underlying Values
The film builds a solid message around the idea that each individual possesses talents of their own which must not be sacrificed to imitation of the parental model. Success comes through work and acceptance of what one truly is, including when this disappoints the expectations of those around you. The narrative also goes against the logic of pure performance by showing that a monster who loves to dance is no less legitimate than an aggressive opponent. On the question of sporting spectacle, the film acknowledges without beating around the bush that certain wrestling matches are arranged, which opens up an honest reflection on the boundary between entertainment and competition.
Parental and Family Portrayals
The death of the heroine's father is the emotional engine of the narrative, and the grief she carries colours her quest with real affective depth. This absent paternal figure is idealised without being sanctified, and the film explores with delicacy how a child can honour a departed parent whilst forging their own path. The mother-daughter relationship is present but remains secondary in the plot.
Language
The language is generally clean. Two instances of the word 'suck' and one comic euphemism of a swear word constitute the only departures from a family register. A play on words between 'tentacle' and 'testicular' amounts to schoolboy humour intended for older children rather than adults. Nothing likely to pose a problem, but worth noting for parents particularly attentive to vocabulary.
Discrimination
The film takes care to contradict several gender stereotypes linked to the world of combat sport: the main strategic figure is a teenage girl, the head of the organisation is a woman, and the central male character prefers dancing to aggression. These narrative choices are not treated as activist messages but as facts, which gives them a natural effectiveness. No negative stereotype is valorised.
Strengths
The film succeeds in making the world of wrestling endearing without turning it into a stupid caricature, by playing with the codes of the genre with genuine knowledge of its rituals and theatricality. The emotional arc between the heroine and her monster is sincere and well-judged, avoiding easy sentimentality. The treatment of grief is remarkably apt for an animated film aimed at young people: it does not resolve sadness through magic but transforms it into creative energy. These qualities make the film a richer object than it appears at first glance.
Age recommendation and discussion points
The film is suitable from age 7 without major reservation, and can be watched as a family with younger children provided you accompany the rare sequences of cartoon violence. Two discussion points deserve to be opened after viewing: why does the main character feel the need to resemble his father rather than find his own path, and what does it mean that certain wrestling matches are arranged in advance.
Synopsis
In a world where monster wrestling is a global sport and monsters are superstar athletes, teenage Winnie seeks to follow in her father’s footsteps by coaching a loveable underdog monster into a champion.
About this title
- Format
- Feature film
- Year
- 2021
- Runtime
- 1h 35m
- Countries
- United States of America
- Original language
- EN
- Directed by
- Hamish Grieve
- Main cast
- Will Arnett, Geraldine Viswanathan, Stephen A. Smith, Terry Crews, Jimmy Tatro, Joe Anoa'i, Rebecca Quin, Tony Danza, Ben Schwartz, Michael Buffer
- Studios
- Paramount Animation, Reel FX Creative Studios, WWE Studios, Walden Media, Paramount Pictures
Content barometer
- Violence2/5Moderate
- Fear1/5Mild
- Sexuality0/5None
- Language1/5Mild
- Narrative complexity1/5Accessible
- Adult themes0/5None
Watch-outs
- Grief
- Death / grief
- Gender stereotypes
- Violence
Values conveyed
- Acceptance of difference
- Perseverance
- friendship
- self confidence
- teamwork