This past weekend, I was fortunate enough to be near a theater that was showing Generation Iron, a new documentary about the top bodybuilders in the game today. If you've ever seen Pumping Iron, it's somewhat similar to that. If you haven't seen Pumping Iron, what is wrong with you? Watch it ASAP!
Every single one of my friends who are as into bodybuilding as me, and who have been waiting for this movie to come out as long as I have, anticipating its release, came along to accompany me and enjoy the experience.
...So exactly zero friends came along.
That was ok though! I knew that this would be a movie for a very niche audience. I was going to go on opening weekend regardless of how many people wanted to come along. Was I that guy who showed up 20 minutes early? Was I that guy who was wearing a Gold's Gym Venice, California stringer tank top to the movie? Yes to all of the above.
Source: flexonline.com
Let me tell you, if you are at ALL into bodybuilding, you need to watch this movie. If you follow any of today's top bodybuilders, like Kai Greene, Phil Heath, Branch Warren, Dennis Wolf, Jay Cutler, etc....you will not be disappointed.
I felt that the movie did a very good job at profiling each of the bodybuilders' personalities, and each time you were introduced to one of them in the film, you entered this aura of filmography and ambience that reflected their personalities really well. When you saw Kai Greene, you felt like you were along the ride with his journey of him vs. the world. You entered that world of Draconian grinding. You felt like you were working as hard as he was to show everyone the power of hard work, will power, and a greater understanding and unlocking of self. When you saw Phil Heath, the mood changed to a more flashy upbeat vibe, as you saw the gigantic house and expensive cars, custom tailored high-end suits, and hanging out with such people as the Denver Nuggets...just shooting around....like it was no big deal.
Source: gymflow100.com
I enjoyed how the movie decided to go with Mickey Rourke as the narrator for the movie. I can't really think of anyone who can deliver that masculine, battered, stoic persona and voice like Mickey can. I also liked how he was more or less sprinkled in there. He narrated at the right times, saying the right things about only the stuff you needed to know. The movie more or less centered around the bodybuilders each narrating their own lives, and own experiences. I thought that was a really nice touch.
While a look into the lives of each of the bodybuilders profiled in the movie was great, there are some other things I think I would have enjoyed seeing. For example, I think that insight into the specifics of certain bodybuilders' workout routines and specific dietary habits would have been fantastic. While some workouts were shown, the movie more or less showcased the recreational activities of each bodybuilder, along with the sponsorship side of things. It would have been great to see some more clips of how hard each bodybuilder grinds in the gym, with slow motion clips and intense facial expressions. But maybe that's just me.
I also thought that the movie could have been a little shorter for the content that they showed. The movie led up to last year's Mr. Olympia contest results. In the time it took to get up to that point however, they circled around a lot of the same themes with different people. Maybe they could have chosen fewer bodybuilders to profile and go deeper with. I didn't mind all the content, but I could see how some people could say that you could have cut the movie shorter with the content it tried to present, or maybe choose fewer bodybuilder to profile and get more in-depth with.
Overall, I really enjoyed the movie. It was a real treat. I'd even see it over again and I hate seeing the same thing over again. It's a movie that is good for both fans of the sport and lifestyle, as well as those who wish to understand more about it. I give it two thumbs up! Check out the trailer below!
P.S.: It's a limited release movie, so it might not be readily available at a theater near you. You can click here to find out where the closest theater to you is! If you see it, let me know what you think!
-Jtrain
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