User Reviews

Predictable high school wrestling picture only comes alive on the wrestling mat (TOO alive, perhaps; those constant cheers are deafening). The story is cliched, and the leading actor registers zero star quality. This is the kind of movie where you just know it will end with a freeze-frame of the coach being thrown in the air by his team in celebration....and it does! ** out of 4 - but if you don't even care about high school wrestling, remove two stars from that rating.

A rather dull look at high school wrestling which in many cases was always overshadowed by basketball. Edward Herrmann, a talented character actor (the John Lithgow of his time), plays an English teacher aghast that he's been assigned to a high school he considers way beneath him, and is even more upset when he's assigned by the principal to take on the extra job of wrestling coach. The only thing he has in common with wrestling is the fact that he knows how to spell it correctly.

Cliched characters and generic performances aren't helped by the derivative plotline, and a school that the viewer could care less about. Among the students are Lorenzo Lamas, Maureen McCormick and Kevin Hooks, doing their best to get through it and collect their pay. This didn't play any major markets ao it's not surprising that it didn't have much of a home video release. The print that I found of it was very poor, quite faded and blury, and I doubt there's an interest in restoration.

TAKE DOWN is one of those formulaic films where there is no question at any time where the film is going to go. It follows the direction of so many "struggling underdog" films from the past, without some of the mean- spiritedness that that appears in more recent films of its ilk.

I first saw this film in 1978 or 1979 at a drive-in as the double bill to the fantastic original version of "Freaky Friday". TAKE DOWN is a sweet little film with some mild humor and extremely mild violence, so it's absolutely fine for family viewing. It's messages of camaraderie, supporting each other, and striving for improvement, no matter what one's social stature may be, are admirable traits.

Edward Herman, always a fine actor, brings the same awkward lightness to his character that he would also display in Disney's "The North Avenue Irregulars" about a year later. In fact, it's almost like his wrestling coach from this film moved on to be a Priest in the latter film. Kathleen Lloyd, as Herman's ever supportive wife, displays the same sensitive solid performance she always does, making one wonder why this woman never had a more successful career.

The story, basically a wrestling team version of "The Little Engine That Could" tries it's best to add side stories about poverty, pregnancy, and early death to make it appear a bit more fleshed out, but some of that, to a modern audience, may bring laughter or eye rolling. But when the film was released, it all made for a sweet, fun time. For those less jaded, and for those who yearn for the days when sweet films could still be aimed at adults,(something that disapeared in 1980 just after the release of the sweet film "Xanadu") TAKE DOWN will hit the spot. Too bad the film came out on Unicorn Video and then promptly disappeared. Doubtful it will ever see the light of DVD or Bluray. The director, Lamas and Lloyd are all still alive- can you imagine a nice commentary track by the three on this forgotten film?

You will find nothing new in TAKE DOWN, but it's like and old dress with a new hem or frill: very familiar and comfortable, with a few small changes.