The Jesse Ventura Story (1999 TV Movie) User Reviews

This is one body of work, not worth looking at! It's terrible!

[ironhorse_iv · 3/10 · 15 March 2018]

In the late 1990s, one of the most surreal political event happen in the State of Minnesota. Jesse 'the Body' Ventura as a third-party underdog candidate; beat the highly likely Republican & Democratic Parties candidates to win the Governorship of that state. While, it's pretty common for anybody relate to pro-wrestling to go into politics, these days, like businessman, Donald Trump becoming President of the United States in 2017 & promoter, Linda McMahon becoming Administrator of the Small Business Administration. At the time, it was very unheard of. So, it was really big news. The Minnesota election of 1998 grabbed enough mainstream media attention that NBC decided to capitalize on Jesse Ventura's fame, by making a television movie about his raise. Thus, 'The Jesse Ventura Story' is born. Without spoiling the movie directed by David Jackson, too much, this has to be, one of the worst biography films ever made. It generally makes up several facts about Jesse's life and career in wrestling including fictionalizing wrestlers, events, people, and places. Almost nothing presented in the movie is true. The writing of Patricia Jones & Donald Reiker doesn't have all the facts, together and it shows. For example, Jesse Ventura was never in the Navy Seals. He was in the Underwater Demolition Team unit, precursor to the present-day United States Navy SEALs. Also, the unit never went sky-diving, like the film portray them, doing. Nor did Ventura ever saw combat in the Vietnam War. Then, there is the historical inaccuracies of his pro-wrestling career like being against lubra libre high flyers in wrestling matches & witnessing ladder match, which haven't yet, been, yet invited. If that isn't bad enough, the film has the gull to recreate the notorious WWF "Montreal Screw-Job' match seen in the documentary "Wrestling with Shadows", and they found a way to fit Jesse in; despite the fact, that Ventura long has retired from the wrestling business by then, due to a dispute in royalties. It was really bizarre! Even if he was able to talk as a color commentator at that event in real-life; the actor, Niles Stewart would probably screw that up as well in this fictional version. Throughout the film, the actor is portraying Ventura as 'Macho Man' Randy Savage type of a gimmick talker, when in truth, Ventura's style of speech is just his normal voice. Also, when Ventura isn't on the color commentary booth playing heel. Niles Stewart & the filmmakers portray him with no charisma as no sense bland bible- loving, trust-worthy American boy-scout, when in truth, Ventura was highly paranoia loud-mouth nut job who was skeptic of everything. Throughout his life, he found himself, in hot water due to his conspiracy theories beliefs. Also, the real-life counterpart, never had a problem with playing the bad guy & being controversial. He often admit to doing bad things such as using anabolic steroids. Another thing, the film glaze over his more-controversial platform, such as wanting to legalized prostitution & marijuana use, portraying him as a generic grassroots politicians in a more generic, non-threaten way. Since the movie portray him, in a good light, without many flaws. I found the outside of the ring sequences to be, highly boring, rather than exciting. In fact, those scenes portray in the film are also highly inaccuracy as well. It wasn't a duck hunt with his father that got him into politics, but advice from a former high school teacher to run for mayor. Despite the failure to live up to real-life elements, the fantasy parts with older Ventura being the narrator weren't so bad. Seeing him doing, all kinds of wacky things in the past was kinda funny. Make you, wonder, in story, he's the one that screw up, the timeline. Nevertheless, it does become very jarring when the movie portray older Ventura touching the hand of his younger self. It also odd, seeing a young Ventura fighting against many then-modern day WCW (World Championship Wrestling) wrestlers like Raven & Chris Kanyon in a wrestling ring, that's supposed to be, late 1970s to mid-1980s, WWF (World Wrestling Federation). Add to that, seeing older past-wrestlers like Lex Luger (Bill Goldberg) & Superstar Billy Graham (Kevin Rushton) looking like modern day wrestlers. Those scenes really does take you, out of the movie. Regardless, those scenes are a lot easier to handle, that seeing made up characters portray real-life people like Vince McMahon AKA James Chancy (Elias Zarou) & Bret Hart AKA Captain Nice (Bobby Johnston) reacting certain key events. Overall: the film should had try a little harder to make everything seem like it was from the right time period. In the end, this movie is just awkward to watch & not worth the 5 bucks, I paid for. I threw it out. If Jesse Ventura ain't got time to bleed. Then, I have no time to rewatch this trash. Highly don't recommended.

So awful, it's actually pretty funny

[Tito-8 · 5/10 · 11 June 1999]

This is a shining example of how a film can be "so bad, that it's good". I can't verify how accurate the political part of this movie is, but the wrestling scenes are HILARIOUSLY bad. If you're a wrestling fan, then you'll know what I am talking about. This mess also subtly includes elements from NBC's horrible special where they "exposed" the secrets of wrestling. And to top it all off, they managed to recreate the infamous match seen in the excellent documentary "Wrestling With Shadows", and they found a way to fit Jesse in. And for all of this...I liked it. It isn't often you can find a biopic that is so clearly fictionalized, and in that sense, this film is (unintentionally) a laugh riot.

An Insult To The Legend

[MichaelMovieLoft · 1/10 · 15 August 1999]

I remember watching this movie when it come on NBC. This movie is the UNAUTHORIZED (and I do mean unauthorized) film on Jesse 'The Body' Ventura. It gets many of the facts wrong and Uses WCW all through the film, when many fans know Ventura worked for the WWF as well. One of the points that they muck up is that Ventura's wife, Terry, gave him the name 'The Body'. But in a 1989 interview on 'Later' with Bob Costas, he states that the fans gave him the name. Many fans who have followed Jesse Ventura's career in wrestling know his life better than the wriers of this film. It was a cheap attempt at getting ratings during May sweeps, and to cash in on Jesse Ventura's success. They even duplicate a scene from 'Wrestling with Shadows'. How low can you go? Even Ventura himself didnt have any good things to say about it a couple of weeks ago on a news program. If you really want to learn about Jesse ventura, watch the A&E special on Biography. It has a lot more on him that this two hour throwtogether does.

The most brainless T.V. movie!

[Sean25 · 23 May 1999]

NBC, who would have known the best TV network to make such a brainless movie. Not only did the writers get his wrestling story mostly wrong, the acting & outline was just AWFUL. WCW was written in mostly all the arenas for one thing. Governer Ventura even had the brains to not accept this as his movie. Jesse vs. Goldberg? Excuse me, but Goldberg never wrestled in the 70's! I can't really believe NBC had a lot to do with this movie. Before they make a movie about a wrestler, I hope they at least get things right! I give this movie no stars out of 4 stars. It was simply brainless.

If this movie was meant to help Jesse's image... it failed!

[RocktBoy · 1/10 · 23 May 1999]

I have no idea what the motive for making this movie was, but the actor that played the role of Jesse was so melodramatic I could not help but laugh at him. I was forced to watch Predator to renew my faith in him not being a sissy.

I don't doubt that Ventura thought about 'political' issues before he was elected... don't we all? So let's not slam dunk it down our throat. Jesse talks to wrestlers about unions, and health plans, leading me to believe Jesse cares about workers. He goes hunting with his dad and we learn he cares about the environment. Give me a break. Give us some credit.

Who is this for?

[fmartin-21394 · 2/10 · 11 April 2022]

As a wrestling fan, I can tell you this film is not for fans. How do I know this? Well, to start, the late 90's WCW branding throughout what is supposed to be the 70's-80's is mind boggling. Especially them suggesting that Jesse's first match, in the 70's, was against Goldberg, a wrestling star from the 90's. What? Even some non fans knew who Goldberg was. They couldn't give Goldberg a fake name and pretend he was someone else? There was very little effort made in the sets, costumes, or props to shade the scenes in the correct time periods. I don't expect much from small budget film but I expect more than this. There are too many factual errors to list here but I can tell you this film's only truth is that Jesse's name is Jesse Ventura. Almost everything else is a farce. The acting is passable which is why I'm giving it two stars. I guess this film could be for non-fans? But there isn't much substance to keep a non-fan interested. It seems like a school project film that somehow ended up on national television.

This movie is awful

[kylesellars-33776 · 1/10 · 28 February 2017]

The acting is bad the story is fabricated and t5he plot lines are dumb i made a better movie then this https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=HwjSbUz2_pE Joey Maggs (The Movie) - Full Movie - By Kyle Sellars you will like this movie because unlike The Jesse Ventura Story this one is based on real events

Good film!

[Movie Nuttball · 10/10 · 16 August 2005]

I thought this was really a treat to see a biography movie about one of the most talented wrestling personalities of time and one of My favorites just not in pro wrestling but also appearances in features films such as classics The Running Man, Predator, and No Hold Bared! I'm talking about the one and the only Jesse 'the Body' Venture!

The Jesse Venture Story is a very good film that has a good cast which includes Nils Allen Stewart, Nancy Anne Sakovich, Thomas Brandise, Christopher Bondy, Nola Augustson, Jef Mallory, Jonathan Potts, Elias Zarou, Bobby Johnston, Dwight McFee, David Huband, Phillip Jarrett, Michael Ruperco, Kevin Rushton, Tommy Dorrian, and Chris Kanyon! The acting by all of these actors is very good. Allen Stewart is really excellent in this film. I thought that he performed good. It was cool seeing wrestler Kanyon in this film! The thrills is really good and some of it is surprising. The movie is filmed very good. The music is good. The film is quite interesting and the movie really keeps you going until the end. This is a very good and thrilling film. If you like Nils Allen Stewart, Nancy Anne Sakovich, Thomas Brandise, Christopher Bondy, Nola Augustson, Jef Mallory, Jonathan Potts, Chris Kanyon, the rest of the cast in the film, Thrillers, Dramas, Action, and interesting True Stories then I strongly recommend you to see this film today!

Movie Nuttball's NOTE:

After the movie was I was shocked when the newscasters on the local channel I saw the film on were talking about that WWF wrestler Owen Hart and that he had died. I just couldn't believe it. He was doing his Blue Blazer gimmick and it went wrong and he collapsed and died. I thought it was weird that it happened on the same day as the premiere. As a big time wrestling fan I had followed his career for such a long time. He will be missed and not forgotten!

Fictional Wrestling With Shadows Knock off

[Clams · 23 May 1999]

You would think a guy who goes from flamboyant pro wrestler to Governor of Minnesota in twenty-two years would have an interesting enough life that they wouldn't have to turn it into a piece of fictional crap!

Here's the idea: Bret Hart gets screwed over by Vince McMahon and the WWF (albeit that was a work, too), they make a rather interesting documentary, Wrestling With Shadows, around it. That film gets great reviews, and Jesse Ventura gets elected Governor of Minnesota afterwards. Somebody at NBC must've seen that movie and, in typical Hollywood fashion, convinced whoever greenlighted this nonsense to combine the two, as no one would ever be interested in his *real* life (wink, wink).

I've been a wrestling fan since I was four (I'm eighteen now), and even though I booed him, I've never had anything but respect for Jesse Ventura, and he deserves better than this. He's not authorized this, and he's considering suing, and I don't blame him (the guy who plays him doesn't even sound like him!)

If you want a good wrestling film, watch Wrestling with Shadows, if you want to learn about Jesse's life, read his autobiography coming out. But by all means, stay away from this!

REALLY A NICE SHOW!!

[Miranda-7 · 10/10 · 18 August 1999]

THE Jesse Ventura Story was well done. A very fine cast and interesting life for Governor Ventura!!!I enjoyed watching the wrestling scenes and the clothing Nils Stewart wore as Ventura. Young Jesse was really great and there should have been more of his character in the movie.

A story done like a shakespeare play complete with asides

[LONE SOLO: THE CRITIC · 25 December 2000]

I like the concept of a JESSIE VENTURA movie...but more could have been made about his military exploits in vietnam. This movie was a money maker but also a semi spoof....I was offended. (now I must walk out into the woods and shoot myself) The film was supposed to be like ROCKY but was written by hacks over a period of two or three days...I hate pulp tv movies. Nancy Anne Sakovich does her best to impersonate Maren Jensen, alas, it doesn't work. Don't get me wrong if they paid what she got I would have dressed up in drag and played her role. her acting wasn't bad it was the speed at which this was evidently filmed...not giving time for re-shoots. A shake and bake tv movie...which is fine..they all got paid who cares? evidently not the people who worked on it. The film glossed over his life and made him out to be more of a comic book hero than a man who has stood up to the forces of intolerance like the chrisitian coalition again and again. Who cares if he was a wrestler, he's a govenor...big deal. In our system anyone can go into politics..however, never me. It was just a movie...relax.

Great movie!!!

[Miranda-7 · 10/10 · 1 June 1999]

I thought the story of Jesse Ventura was very positive regardless of the negative reviews. What made this story disinteresting to the public was a lack of sex and violence, which is what most reviewers want to see.

Also there should have been more of a focus on Jesse when he was young. Thomas Brandise was excellent and exemplified THE REAL JESSE VERY WELL BECAUSE HIS ACTING WAS VERY IN YOUR FACE, WHEREAS NILS ALLEN STEWART PLAYED JESSE VERY CALMLY. There should have been more of young Jesse in the movie and no narration. We as an audience are not stupid and would have gotten the point. Otherwise, this tv show, although not the best best, made me appreciate and respect the Life of Governor Ventura. Bravo NBC for at least that!

Well Done Movie

[Miranda-7 · 10/10 · 10 August 1999]

The Story of Jesse Ventura was great. It was refreshing to see a nice clean story based on a pretty impressive guy. Young Jesse did a great job with the military training...twas very true to life as being the wife of a husband who is a Navy Seal.

I liked it!

[LuvsFood · 23 May 1999]

Typical glossed-over TV biopic saved by fine lead performance, and gung-ho spirit. The fellow who played the adult Ventura did an outstanding job. Supporting cast was fine, too.