Plot: After “accidentally” killing a fellow professional wrestler in the ring, “The Franchise” Shane Douglas is booked along with “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Matt Hardy, Kurt Angle, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, Rock of Love alum Taya Parker and a crew of other wrestlers to put on a show at an abandoned prison. Little do they know, but the brother (Ashton Amherst) of the fallen wrestler has raised an army of zombies to kill them all.
Pro Wrestlers vs. Zombies is a movie made for three types of people — pro wrestling fans, zombie movie junkies and pro wrestling fans that are zombie movie junkies. If you fall into one or more of these categories you are going not only love this movie, but you’re really going to appreciate all the winks and nods the movie makes throughout its 90 minute or so run time.
If you are not one of these types of people, don’t have a closed mind about this movies, it’s a crazy fun and entertaining film.
While the plot is outrageous and the acting can be a bit hammy, you can’t deny just how much fun this movie. After the first 15 minutes or so, Pro Wrestlers vs. Zombies turns into a non-stop blood and guts battle between pro wrestlers and zombies. The gore fact is super high here so if you like your zombie movies extra bloody, you’re in for a treat. And if you’re a wrestling, you already know that red equals green, brother.
In terms of action, the wrestlers do get to use a lot of their signature moves and it actually works perfectly. Why? Because in a film where logic and sense aren’t exactly welcome guests, it actually does make sense that pro wrestlers would use their talents as pro wrestlers to kill zombies. Hey, a well-placed 2×4 shot to the skull of zombie will kill it. As will the use of a ladder, chair, Angle Slam and a sleeper hold. The things you learn, right?
The most impressive wrestler in the film is Facade, someone who is starting to make his name known on the independent level. He’s more of an athletic, lucha libre style wrestler so he’s able to execute some pretty exciting aerial and acrobatic moves throughout the film and his zombie sequence is probably the most exciting of the film.
In what should come to no surprise to any wrestling fan, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper is the heart and soul of the film. Piper could’ve easily mailed this one in, especially given how ridiculous some of the situations the film places him in. Yet, Piper never takes the movie for granted and instead, he takes the situations seriously and reacts like any logical human being would. Does he have fun with the role? Of course. Do he get some of his signature Piper-isms in there? Of course. Piper’s a believable hero and everyman, he’s a guy you buy into as the hero of the film and you ultimately end up rooting for him more than anyone to survive the battle with the zombies.
Pro Wrestlers vs. Zombies isn’t a film you go into scholarly analysis about — it’s a zombie film where pro wrestlers and zombies try and kill each other. It’s so much fun and is a must-see for fans of wrestling and the zombie apocalypse.
Thank you for the great review. The film was a ton of fun to make. It was a dream experience and Roddy and the gang were amazing.