Cinema’s Greatest Motley Crews

A motley crew is defined as an assembly of individuals of various backgrounds, appearance, and character that come together for a single cause. Utilising this as the centrepiece of a narrative has been a hallmark of cinema for many years now, leading to some of our most beloved films across countless genres.

An engaging and original motley crew forms much of the appeal of Walk Like a Panther. Set in present day Yorkshire, 30 years after the plug was pulled on British wrestling on TV, a band of brothers and sisters will squeeze into their leotards for one final rumble. Dealing with the highs and lows of life through the Boston Crab and Half Nelson, the wrestlers will fight to find themselves, one another and save their community.

With the film hitting cinemas on March 9^th, we thought that now would be the perfect opportunity to round up the greatest motley crews in film history.

Aliens (1986)

Not only did James Cameron achieve the impossible by creating a sequel to a beloved film that matched its brilliance, he somehow managed to assemble an even greater motley crew to lead his story. Sigourney Weaver’s iconic Ripley is joined by an extensive roster of unique and engaging characters, from the badass tag team duo of Pvt. Vasquez and Pvt. Drake to the cowardly Paul Reiser. This is not to mention Bill Paxton’s gloriously unhinged and hilarious Hudson – think the famous knife scene with Bishop or simply ‘game over man, game over.’ Aliens may be one of the best action films of all time but it is made one for the ages by the quality of the characterisation and character interaction throughout.

The Usual Suspects (1995)

The Usual Suspects is undoubtedly one of the most iconic films of the 1990s, and this is significantly down to the crew of misfits that carry it. Centred on five criminals who are seemingly thrown together in a holding cell by fate, the film is constantly brought to transcendent levels of entertainment through the eccentricity of the characters and calibre of performances at the story’s centre. This includes Stephen Baldwin’s crazed McManus and Kevin Spacey’s Verbal in a performance that very deservedly won him an Oscar. In fact, it arguably remains his finest role to date.

The Full Monty (1997)

The steel mills of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, have shut down and most of the staff have been made redundant and are in desperate need of money.  One of the workers Gaz  (Robert Carlyle) spots a money making scheme in the form  of  a raunchy Chippendale’s inspired performance. He forms a group of ex-workers who are desperate enough to take part, albeit reluctantly.  What follows is a story that is infused with warm humour  and  a  great  sense  of togetherness. The men face their fear of stripping live on stage in front of their friends and family but ultimately join together for a one-night performance as  they  support  each  other to go the Full Monty.

Walk Like A Panther (2018)

This latest British comedy revolves around a group of ‘80s wrestlers who are forced to don the lycra one last time when their beloved local pub is threatened by closure. Led by father-son duo, Mark  (Stephen Graham)  and  Trevor  Bolton  (Dave Johns),  this  unlikely  bunch  of underdog heroes set out to save their community, rekindling old friendships and family ties along the way. The group face their own concerns about their age and fitness to support one another and fight for their pub. It’s a funny and uplifting tale of a town coming together for a cause they believe in, even if it means donning 30-year-old lycra

Walk Like A Panther is out in UK cinemas 9 March.