Generation Iron Movie Review

Sitting in a theatre full of bodybuilders, fitness enthusiasts, and industry insiders, I was just another wide-eyed bodybuilding fan waiting impatiently for the Canadian premiere of Generation Iron to begin. While the annoying and irrelevant previews kept the majority of the audience mildly entertained, I was replaying scenes of 1977’s Pumping Iron in my mind: the battle between the larger-than-life Arnold Schwarzenegger and the gentle giant underdog Lou Ferrigno; rarely seen weight-room footage where uttering the word “overtraining” was considered blasphemy; Muscle Beach before it was Muscle Beach; the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat, and the camaraderie between competing athletes. As it had been dubbed the next Pumping Iron and comes from the same producers, I was expecting Generation Iron to have some similarities to the timeless cult classic, but filmmaker Vlad Yudin made this long-awaited docudrama all his own. Although both films examine the private lives of top-tier pros amid their journey to the Olympia stage, it would be criminal to say that one is a remake of the other. Narrated by Mickey Rourke, Generation Iron is more than just a voyeuristic view into the misunderstood realm of professional bodybuilding; it’s a gripping tale of seven athletes who chose to make a living off their God-given genetic ability to develop copious amounts of muscle. Over the course of 106 minutes, layer upon layer was peeled back until the most recognizable figures in this niche sport were exposed for who they really were: human beings. It’s this human element that separates Generation Iron from its predecessor.

For the general population to accept and appreciate the sport of professional bodybuilding, it’s imperative they first understand bodybuilders. Had Vlad Yudin focused solely on the rivalry between Phil Heath and Kai Greene as the two contrasting characters battled for the quarter-milliondollar payoff and the priceless Sandow, Generation Iron could never have been able to reach a substantial audience outside of bodybuilding. It’s all about the subplots, the movies within the movie that shine a positive light on the sport that has been left in the dark for far too long: Ben Pakulski’s Ivan Drago–like laboratory approach to training; the quirky relationship between Roelly Winklaar and his trainer “Grandma” Sibil; Victor Martinez’s heartbreaking realization that this was not his year; Hidetada Yamagishi’s inspirational quest to prove that an Asian can compete on the Olympia stage; Branch Warren’s blue-collar approach to lifting; and Dennis Wolf ’s hilariously failed attempt to follow in Arnold’s thespian footsteps.

It’s precisely these narratives that make Generation Iron not just a
great bodybuilding film, but a great film—period! As the minutes passed on this extraordinary film, I kept thinking to myself, “Will Yudin do it? Will he expose bodybuilding’s ‘dirty little secret’?” Not only was the taboo act of steroid use intelligently addressed, it was discussed candidly in such a way that even the most cynical of viewers would be able to accept it as part of the sport. We’ve been waiting 30 years for a film like this to come along: a film that promotes the misunderstood lifestyle we all love. I’m still skeptical that professional bodybuilding will ever become a mainstream sport, but I am hopeful that if Generation Iron reaches a wide enough audience, it will eventually be respected.