Ready to Rumble

REVIEW
The presence of WCW stars instead of the more popular WWF is the first sign that this comedy about pro wrestlers and their dunderheaded fans (Under the Top?) might not reach its (low) potential. Doughy Platt, who's usually excellent, is woefully miscast as Jimmy King, the greatest wrestler in the world. When the King is suspiciously dethroned, his two most ardent fans (Arquette and Caan, doing a redneck Bill & Ted shtick) look to set things right. Platt looks lost amid the non-acting rasslers, who have trouble even playing themselves. At least Caan and real-life fan Arquette are appropriate choices; they don't even seem to break character during their DVD audio commentary. Director Robbins, who punched up the surprisingly enjoyable Varsity Blues, here is a victim of laugh-free writing, and an indecision whether to satirize grapplers and their fans or to revel in their low humor.