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Generation Iron

Generation Iron (2013)

September. 20,2013
|
7
|
PG-13
| Documentary

Generation Iron - examines the professional sport of bodybuilding today and gives the audience front row access to the lives of the top 7 bodybuilders in the sport as they train to compete in the world's most premiere bodybuilding stage - Mr. Olympia.

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Reviews

Wordiezett
2013/09/20

So much average

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Ensofter
2013/09/21

Overrated and overhyped

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Afouotos
2013/09/22

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

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Senteur
2013/09/23

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

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anchovyd
2013/09/24

First off, I must say that this movie is not very entertaining. I had to watch this movie in three sittings because I could only make it through about 30 minutes without busting out my iPad and surfing the net. It does not capture your attention and bring you on a journey like Pumping Iron did.I lift regularly and get into bodybuilding every few years so I wanted to check this out. The last time I was into it Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler were having their rivalry so it was good to see who the current generation of guys are but really that was about all this movie was good for. It wasn't really entertaining. To be honest, it seems like they tried to cover too many guys and there wasn't enough time to really build a story. Obviously the showdown is between Heath and Kai but not much extra time is devoted to it. Maybe if they took a cue from Pumping Iron where 80% of the movie was about Lou vs. Arnold, they could have had something good here as Kai and Heath seem so different. I did really like Kai after seeing this film. The dude looks like a beast but to see him that he eats at home with chopsticks, does performance art on the streets and in the subways and paints really impressed me. He is definitely a renaissance man.I agree with the other reviews here that gripe about the lack of steroid coverage. The movie is not an expose so I get why they didn't say much but when you have Heath claiming that only the bodybuilding community knows how to build muscle while losing fat and the blonde bald guy in Tampa saying the same sort of stuff, it seems the director should have called them out on it.Instead you get a shot of a syringe in a dorm room fridge with Mickey Rourke saying that everyone refused to talk about GH and steroids and then Arnold saying that the reason no one is aesthetic anymore is because there no just using roids like back in the day but a lot of other drugs which allows people to get really oversized and super shredded. Other than that, nothing much else is said.Bottom line: Only watch if you are into bodybuilding. Even then you'll get bored but it is still pretty interesting. 5/10

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HardCore 4Life
2013/09/25

I have been training since 2009 and during these years i have gained a lot information about bodybuilding. How to train, what to eat, what supplements to use etc. The movie is mostly honest, it mentions how important to train hard, how important to follow a proper diet, how important to visualize and it finally talks about steroids. However the answer for the BIGGEST question still remains unanswered.Why is it worth it? Branch said during an interview: "It's all worth it." They just keep saying this well known sentence but there is nothing behind the words. Why are these people working out? What is their motivation? What helps them to move on? How do they overcome the hardest situations? What sacrifices do they have to make? How do they manage their time? etc.They talk about dedication and passion but they don't expand their thoughts. They should have explained this very carefully to the skeptical audience, who view this sport from only one direction. As far as i'm concerned Mike Pulcinella's "Day in the life of Kai Greene" is a perfect example of creating an accurate documentary which achieved so much more with a lower budget.Some previous Mr.Olympia were interviewed but unfortunately their screen time were less than 5 minutes. It was a bit disappointment because Jay, Ronnie or Arnold would have deserved more time.The competition between Kai and Phil is implemented to the screen very well and it is funny to watch them in the beginning of their rivalry. They used the same pattern from Pumping Iron, Phil was the confident champion who shows no sign of fear and Kai was the underdog who does everything to knock out the current king from his throne. Narration of Ricky Rourke in the first 10 minutes was a bit weird but later i got used to it and it filled out the empty space.Visually the movie is unexceptionable, photography and cinematography were flawless, editing was great, music absolutely harmonized with happenings and every minute was the evidence of professionalism.In spite of the missed message it is a great documentary to watch, however the target audience (bodybuilding fans) will be the only one who can appreciate this attempt.

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Harriet Deltubbo
2013/09/26

A documentary that follows top bodybuilders as they train to compete in the Mr. Olympia competition. The trains of bodybuilding and righteousness can't be stopped and their movement brings about reactive forces in the people they affect. The cinematography is stark and bare, with only the soundtrack adding some effect. Other than that, it was an okay film, and I would recommend that people watch it. It's an amazing work and everything I had hoped for. From an artistic standpoint, it holds its own. With good narration from all involved, I have to give this one a final and well deserved rating of 7 out of 10, so check it out now.

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coolguy1541
2013/09/27

Interesting look into how things have changed in the world of bodybuilding since the cult classic Pumping Iron came out. Overall, the film was well shot and edited with a fairly in-depth look at some Mr. Olympia hopefuls. Overall the movie is more of a commercial for bodybuilding than it is a balanced documentary. However, it was definitely worth watching.The elephant in the room is the fact that genetics, nutrition, and exercise science haven't changed enough over the past 30 years to make these guys look like something out of a comic book. They are taking steroids....lots of them. There is a plethora of medical evidence that steroids cause deleterious effects on the body, which the film acknowledges. One could argue that all professional athletes are using them, but bodybuilding is different. You HAVE to use steroids in order to compete, and there is no real effort to prevent there use. As a physician and a longtime weightlifter it pains me to see so many people pursing this hobby/sport at the expensive of their health. Most of it boils down to money for advertising and supplements. Overall, an entertaining movie, but a painful reminder of what bodybuilding has become.

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