‘Queen of the Ring’s’ Flaws Are Its Heel Turn

Underdog stories run in the family.

Director John Avildsen gave us both “The Karate Kid” (1984) and “Rocky” (1976). Now, his son Ash Avildsen brings legendary wrestler Mildred Burke’s life to the big screen via “Queen of the Ring.”

It’s clear Pappy worked at a higher cinematic level.

“Ring” has gumption aplenty and it’s impossible not to cheer Mildred’s pluck. As played by Emily Bett Rickards, she’s a force of nature who stifles the Patriarchy with every bicep flex.

Outside the ring, this “Queen” stumbles.

Rickards’s Mildred works at her mother’s diner but dreams of something bigger. She catches a live wrestling match and discovers her true purpose. She’ll stop at nothing to become a champion female wrestler.

There’s only one problem. Well, quite a few, actually, but one stands out. Women’s wrestling was illegal in many states during the 1940s.

Undaunted, Mildred teams with wrestler-turned-promoter Billy Wolfe (Josh Lucas, solid) to shake up the sport. Their partnership gets complicated quickly. He’s both caring and cold, and he sees Mildred as his path to path and fortune.

Lucas’ Billy Wolfe is a heel, of sorts. He’s a product of his time, a man looking to work whatever angle is needed to survive.

Mildred just craves enough cash to help her raise her young son. She soon learns the path she’s blazing is about much more than her.

“Queen of the Ring’s” tone teeters on camp, and the dialogue is loaded with “you, go girl” aphorisms. That’s not necessarily wrong given Mildred’s story and the culture in question. Still, it undercuts the value of her achievements.

Example? The screenplay repeats what might be a powerful line about women’s opportunities in the era. You could sling hash or fight other women and get paid for it.

Cute line … why replay it?

The script is so on the nose it’s like a professional wrestling match. That’s not a compliment.

It would be nice to get more behind-the-scenes details about the matches, the tricks meant to evoke real violence and other elements of the sport.

Mildred’s connection to Billy’s adult son (Tyler Posey) feels like a missed opportunity. The filmmakers seem to lose interest in it at the worst possible time. It’s curious how “Queen” holds back whenever Mildred’s romantic urges rise to the surface.

That missed connection isn’t alone. The film’s haphazard storyline makes even simple arcs tricky to trace. Walton Goggins floats in and out of the story, cast as a more humane promoter but never leaving the mark the actor usually does.

The film awkwardly tries to capture the sport’s racial woes via a trio of black female wrestlers. It’s a sweet aside, but the actresses in question aren’t given enough screen time, or dialogue, to matter.

Wrestling biopics, like the overrated “Iron Claw,” suffer from the sport’s obvious fiction. That’s partly addressed here via “shoot” matches where reality overtakes the scripted outcome.

That’s a fascinating nugget worthy of more screen time.

The film likely had a modest budget but made the most of its resources, from the vintage cars to period re-enactments which never ring false. The sense that we’re stepping back in time is constant and impressive.

So, too, is Rickards. She does much more than “look” the part of the iconic wrestler. She feeds off the role, understanding its cultural value. She practically wills the viewers to embrace Mildred’s journey.

Resistance is futile.

The flawed film’s very existence speaks to Hollywood’s cultural soft power. Mildred’s life story should be known far and wide. Now, thanks to Rickards and the “Queen” team, it just might be.

HiT or Miss: “Queen of the Ring” recalls an empowering chapter in women’s sports history, but the story isn’t as rugged as the iconic wrestler in question.

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