The indie production, The Last Champion, is the story of John Wright, an ex-Olympian wrestler that was stripped of his medal due to PED use. Wright, played by Cole Hauser, is forced to return to his home town after the death of his mother. Being disgraced from his home town due to his past actions, Wright must reconcile with his past and help his local wrestling team after the loss of a head coach.
The Last Champion, Inspiring Story
I really enjoyed The Last Champion as a story of redemption. The movie kept me interested as a fan of wrestling. But the movie won’t keep the casual, non-combat sport fan out of the loop with the technical aspects of wrestling. Wrestling the sport just took place in the background and added a layer to the plot. Instead of it being a basketball drama or a football movie, wrestling was the motivating force for the characters in the movie.
Hauser starts the movie closed off and disconnected from the audience and supporting characters. As time goes and as he gets more involved with the sport of wrestling, he connects with the town that forgives him. But Hauser’s character must forgive himself.
Wright finds his old pastor who helps him find his way to forgiveness through religion, which is the turning point for John Wright in The Last Champion. Wright dedicates himself to wrestling and gets his long lost confidence back.
Not Perfect, But Don’t Let That Stop You
Like most movies, The Last Champion is not perfect, and that’s okay. At times the movie can feel campy and stagnant in spots. That said, once out of those sections, the movie does a good job of bringing you back in and grabbing your attention again.
But an indie film shouldn’t be perfect. In House Media, the producers and writers of the movie, is a small company with tons of great chops that puts together a fun movie that will leave you feeling good.
The Last Champion also has a fantastic cameo from Dan Gable, one of the greatest Olympic wrestlers of all time. Seeing Gable on the screen made me happy and you can tell he enjoyed being a part of a film involving the sport he loves.
The climax of the movie is a state championship match that goes down to the wire of the wire. The happy ending for the movie is well deserved after our characters John Wright and Michael Miller fight tooth and nail for every inch of ground earned over the course of the movie.
In conclusion: watch the movie
I personally give the movie a C grade, right in the middle of the road as far as spectacles go. But, what The Last Champion provides is a good family movie that can either spark a kid’s interest in the sport of wrestling. And if you’re a parent of a kid that wrestles or wrestled in school yourself, check it out. You’ll enjoy it for the two hours of entertainment it provides!
Double Hammerfist 