Generation Iron

Documentaries are certainly one of the best form of presenting a film there is, simply because the creators of them can teach their audiences something in an entertaining way, so when they leave, the writers, director,et al can feel satisfied that they have passed on some knowledge. I have seen many documentaries, i.e. "Murderball" '05, "Pumping Iron" '77, even last year's "Searching for Sugarman", and they all have taught me something that I can take with me done in an artistic, entertaining way, and "Generation Iron" holds no exceptions.

From the producer of the original classic, 1977's "Pumping Iron", comes "Generation Iron", the long awaited true story of dedication, rivalry, victory, defeat, redemption and triumph. The film chronicles the professional sport of bodybuilding today and gives us access to the lives of current bodybuilding stars Phil Heath, Kai Greene, Branch Warren, Dennis Wolf, Victor Martinez, Hidetada Yamagishi as well as ambitious newcomer Ben Pakulski, and European sensation Roelly Winklaar on their journey as they vie for the coveted Mr. Olympia 'crown' in Las Vegas. This also interviews past bodybuilders Jay Cutler, Ronnie Coleman, Lou Ferrigno and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and trainers Sibil Peeters, Dennis James and Victor Munoz all being narrated by actor, Mickey Rourke.

This documentary was written and directed with grit and intensity with exhaustive research by Vlad Yudin ("The Last Day of Summer" '09, "Mr. Immortality: The Life and Times of Twista" (Documentary, Direct only) '11. This goes in depth with each of these bodybuilders, whether it be professional, personal, issues, victories, defeats--whether professional or personal. As a good many people think, the stereotypical look at a bodybuilder is, to quote one of them, a box of rocks that's dumb, but then he says, how many people know how to shread fat while at the same time pack on pounds of muscle? Not many. So this really shows these guys in a different light than what one might expect.

If one is into bodybuilding, obviously they will revel, but even if you're not, this is packed with a ton of information that not only will make you think, but it will also give you a heart-wrenching perspective of what these guys go through for a momentary fame.

Out of 4 Stars: 4                            Rated: PG-13                             106mins.