Over-the-Top Fun With Just the Right Amount of Heart

Read Time:5 Minute, 12 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Raging Midlife
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Genre: Comedy, Action, Romance
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 1h 37m
Director(s): Rob Taylor
Writer(s): Nic Costa
Cast: Paula Abdul, Eddie Griffin, Walter Koenig, Emily Sweet, Nic Costa, Matt Zak, Darielle Mason, Bryna Smith, Rob Taylor, Motch O Mann, Judy Levitt, Joseph Aviel, Danielle Vasinova
Where To Watch: in select theaters and on-demand starting March 14, 2025

RAVING REVIEW: Midlife crises take on many forms—some buy a flashy car, others revisit old hobbies, and then some go on a reckless mission to recover a lost piece of wrestling memorabilia. RAGING MIDLIFE sets up a premise that should be an easy win: nostalgia-fueled hijinks, absurd action, and a cast that includes Nic Costa, Rob Taylor, Paula Abdul, Eddie Griffin, and Walter Koenig. But instead of delivering a tight and engaging comedy, the film stumbles over its ambitions, getting lost in a mix of forced humor, underdeveloped characters, and a script that never fully capitalizes on its strongest ideas.

The story follows wrestling-obsessed best friends Alex (Costa) and Mark (Taylor), who embark on a mission to reclaim a tank top once worn by their childhood hero, the over-the-top wrestler Raging Abraham Lincoln. For them, it’s more than just a collectible—a connection to their past, a way to hold onto their glory days. But their plans hit a roadblock when Tyler (Darielle Mason) outbids them at an auction. Unlike Alex and Mark, her motives are personal: she’s fulfilling her late father’s dying wish to be cremated wearing the tank top, giving the absurd premise an emotional contrast that the film never quite knows how to handle.

What starts as a rivalry between the trio turns into a road trip filled with misadventures, but while the film attempts to juggle wacky escapades with deeper themes, it never fully commits to either. The humor is sporadic—some jokes land, but many feel recycled from other buddy comedies. While the film makes a point about nostalgia and what it means to grow up, the message is delivered so shallowly that it lacks real impact. The emotional core is there, but it’s undercooked, overshadowed by a reliance on exaggerated gags.

Costa and Taylor, who also co-wrote the film, have a natural chemistry that makes Alex and Mark’s friendship feel genuine, but the characters aren’t particularly deep. Alex is stuck in the past, clinging to childhood obsessions, while Mark plays the slightly more rational but equally nostalgic counterbalance. Their comedic back-and-forth has moments of charm, but their arcs don’t develop, leaving them essentially the same people they were when the film began.

Paula Abdul appears as Mary, a character meant to bring wisdom and perspective to Alex’s journey, but despite her screen presence, she’s barely given anything to work with. Abdul’s performance is fine, but her role feels unnecessary, like an afterthought rather than a crucial part of the story. Eddie Griffin delivers his usual high-energy comedic style, playing Big Jim, a shady yet charismatic figure who adds chaos to the mix. While Griffin’s moments are some of the film’s stronger comedic moments, they aren’t enough to save the weaker stretches of the script. Walter Koenig, a sci-fi icon best known for his role in Star Trek, appears in a minor role that feels more like a nod to nostalgia than a meaningful contribution to the film.

Visually, the film embraces the world of professional wrestling, incorporating bright colors, exaggerated action, and theatrical flourishes meant to capture the spectacle of the sport. There are moments where this energy works, but other times; it feels like the film is trying too hard to make the wrestling aesthetic fit into a story that doesn’t fully justify it. The wrestling-inspired action sequences are entertaining in theory. Still, their execution is inconsistent—sometimes leaning into absurdity in a way that works, other times coming off as clumsy and forced.

One of the biggest missed opportunities is the supporting cast, which is largely underdeveloped. Some side characters exist solely for one-off jokes and then disappear, never really adding anything meaningful to the plot. Given the film’s emphasis on chasing the past, fleshing out more of these characters could have added richness to the story, giving Alex and Mark’s journey more depth instead of making it feel like a collection of comedic set pieces loosely strung together.

By the time the credits roll, RAGING MIDLIFE has made its point about nostalgia, but not in a way that leaves much of a lasting impression. It had the potential to be a hilarious, offbeat take on wrestling fandom and growing older, but it never digs deep enough to make the laughs or the themes hit. There’s enjoyment to be found in parts, but ultimately, it feels like a gimmick that runs out of steam too quickly, leaving behind a film just as stuck in the past as its protagonists.

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[photo courtesy of LEVEL 33 ENTERTAINMENT]

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